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Global trends in prevalence, disability adjusted life years, and risk factors for early onset dementia from 1990 to 2021
Chen-Ying Lin, Ya-Jie Zhai, Hao-Hua An, Fan Wu, Hui-Na Qiu, Jing-Bo Li, Jing‐Na Lin. Scientific Reports, 2025-04-18
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
This study aims to analyze temporal trends in the prevalence and disability-adjusted life year (DALY) burden of early-onset dementia (EOD) globally from 1990 to 2021 and assess the attributable burdens of modifiable risk factors. Data from the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) 2021 were used. EOD was defined as dementia in individuals aged 40-64. The analysis included case numbers, age-standardized prevalence rates (ASPRs), and DALY rates (ASDRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), stratified by global, regional, and national levels, sociodemographic index (SDI), and sex. Joinpoint regression analysis evaluated the average annual percent change (AAPC). Population attributable fractions (PAFs) estimated the proportion of DALYs attributable to risk factors. The global number of EOD cases and DALYs nearly doubled from 1990 to 2021, reaching 7.758 million cases (95% CI 5.827-10.081) and 3.774 million DALYs (95% CI 1.696-8.881) in 2021. ASPR and ASDR increased slightly to 355.9 (95% CI 267.2-462.8) and 173.3 (95% CI 77.9-407.7) per 100,000 in 2021. In 2021, the highest ASPR was in high-middle SDI countries at 387.6 per 100,000 (95% CI 291.1-506.8), while the highest ASDR was in middle SDI at 182.9 per 100,000 (95% CI 82.2-431). The fastest ASDR increase was in low and low-middle SDI countries from 2010 to 2021, with AAPCs of 0.42% (95% CI 0.34-0.50) and 0.36% (95% CI 0.33-0.39), respectively. A significant negative correlation was found between SDI and ASDR. During the COVID-19 pandemic (2019-2021), ASPR and ASDR in high-SDI countries declined, while other SDI regions saw an accelerated increase. In 2021, high fasting plasma glucose (FPG) was the most significant attributable risk factor for EOD-related DALYs globally, with PAFs for high body mass index and high FPG increasing in nearly all regions since 1990, while the PAF for smoking decreased. In 2021, EOD burden was highest in high-middle and middle SDI countries, particularly rising during the COVID-19 pandemic. The growing influence of metabolic risk factors underscores the need for targeted public health policies and resource allocation to mitigate the EOD burden.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Lin, C.-Y., Zhai, Y.-J., An, H.-H., Wu, F., Qiu, H.-N., Li, J.-B., et al. (2025). Global trends in prevalence, disability adjusted life years, and risk factors for early onset dementia from 1990 to 2021. Scientific Reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-97404-6
Vancouver
Lin C.-Y, Zhai Y.-J, An H.-H, Wu F, Qiu H.-N, Li J.-B, et al. Global trends in prevalence, disability adjusted life years, and risk factors for early onset dementia from 1990 to 2021. Scientific Reports. 2025. doi:10.1038/s41598-025-97404-6. PMID: 40251196.
BibTeX
@article{lin2025-40251196,
author = {Lin, Chen-Ying and Zhai, Ya-Jie and An, Hao-Hua and Wu, Fan and Qiu, Hui-Na and Li, Jing-Bo and Lin, Jing‐Na},
title = {{Global trends in prevalence, disability adjusted life years, and risk factors for early onset dementia from 1990 to 2021}},
journal = {Scientific Reports},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1038/s41598-025-97404-6},
pmid = {40251196},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-97404-6}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 7 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- A significant negative correlation was found between SDI and ASDR.
- In 2021, high fasting plasma glucose (FPG) was the most significant attributable risk factor for EOD-related DALYs globally, with PAFs for high body mass index and high FPG increasing in nearly all regions since 1990, while the PAF for smoking decreased.
Why it matters
This global analysis found that the number of early-onset dementia cases and DALYs nearly doubled from 1990 to 2021, with high fasting plasma glucose as the most significant attributable risk factor for related DALYs globally. It also noted that the PAF for high body mass index and high fasting plasma glucose increased in nearly all regions since 1990, while the PAF for smoking decreased.
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Study details
- Effect size0.42%; 0.36%
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 43/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, studied in people and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Scientific Reports) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Scientific Reports: journal h-index 463 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 2 / 3 | Effect reported as a number, without an interval or test |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 2 / 7 | Cited 13 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 4.3 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 8.2× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 1 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 13 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 1 / 4 | Last-listed author Jing‐Na Lin: h-index 16 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Nankai University: institution h-index 680 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40251196) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 43 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
- DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-97404-6
- PubMed: 40251196
- Original source →
- Free full text: Scientific Reports →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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