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The global, regional, and national burden and attributable risk factors of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, 1990-2021: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study
Mengfan Yin, S J Ding, Manli Zhao, Junling Liu, Weiqiang Su, Min Fu, Minghao Wu, Canfield Ma et al.. Journal of Alzheimer s Disease, 2025-07-21
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
BackgroundDementia is a syndrome characterized by a decline in cognitive function, with Alzheimer's disease (AD) being the most common type. Updated global statistics on the burden of AD and other dementias provide critical insights for guiding prevention and treatment strategies.ObjectiveTo estimate the global, regional, and national burden and attributable risk factors of AD and other dementias from 1990 to 2021.MethodsThis cross-sectional study utilized the 2021 Global Burden of Disease (GBD) dataset from 204 countries and territories. The analysis focused on individuals aged 40 years and older with AD and other dementias and included data on incidence, all-cause and cause-specific mortality, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), and estimated annual percentage changes (EAPCs). These trends were stratified by region, country, age, sex, and Socio-Demographic Index (SDI).ResultsFrom 1990 to 2021, global DALYs attributable to AD and other dementias rose from 3.83 million to 9.84 million. Age-standardized rates (ASRs) of incidence and DALYs increased for both sexes, with a more pronounced rise in males. ASRs for incidence, prevalence, and DALYs were positively correlated with SDI. Smoking was identified as the primary risk factor for dementia burden among males, whereas obesity was the leading risk factor for females.ConclusionsThe global burden of AD and other dementias has significantly increased from 1990 to 2021, especially in high-SDI regions. While females have a higher overall risk, the burden has grown more rapidly in males. These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions to address aging populations and reduce dementia risk factors.
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APA 7th
Yin, M., Ding, S. J., Zhao, M., Liu, J., Su, W., Fu, M., et al. (2025). The global, regional, and national burden and attributable risk factors of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, 1990-2021: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study. Journal of Alzheimer s Disease. https://doi.org/10.1177/13872877251360221
Vancouver
Yin M, Ding SJ, Zhao M, Liu J, Su W, Fu M, et al. The global, regional, and national burden and attributable risk factors of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, 1990-2021: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study. Journal of Alzheimer s Disease. 2025. doi:10.1177/13872877251360221. PMID: 40692317.
BibTeX
@article{yin2025-40692317,
author = {Yin, Mengfan and Ding, S J and Zhao, Manli and Liu, Junling and Su, Weiqiang and Fu, Min and Wu, Minghao and Ma, Canfield and others},
title = {{The global, regional, and national burden and attributable risk factors of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, 1990-2021: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study}},
journal = {Journal of Alzheimer s Disease},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1177/13872877251360221},
pmid = {40692317},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1177/13872877251360221}
}
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Key findings
- Smoking was identified as the primary risk factor for dementia burden among males, whereas obesity was the leading risk factor for females.ConclusionsThe global burden of AD and other dementias has significantly increased from 1990 to 2021, especially in high-SDI regions.
- While females have a higher overall risk, the burden has grown more rapidly in males.
- These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions to address aging populations and reduce dementia risk factors.
Why it matters
This analysis of Global Burden of Disease data from 1990 to 2021 found that disability-adjusted life years from Alzheimer's disease and other dementias rose substantially, with smoking the leading risk factor in males and obesity the leading risk factor in females. It highlights the need for targeted interventions to reduce dementia risk factors, but it does not test any treatment or cure.
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Study details
- Study designcross-sectional
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 43/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a snapshot of people at one point in time. Scored zero for sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of Alzheimer s Disease) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Journal of Alzheimer s Disease: journal h-index 218 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 4 / 12 | A snapshot of people at one point in time |
| 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 | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 3 / 7 | Cited 17 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 5.7 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 10.8× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 17 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 1 / 4 | Last-listed author Yujia Kong: h-index 15 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Weifang People's Hospital: institution h-index 97 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40692317) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 43 / 100 | — |
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