Home › Research › Caregiving
The Prevalence and Incidence of Dementia Due to Alzheimer's Disease: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Fiest KM, Roberts JI, Maxwell CJ, Hogan DB, Smith EE, Frolkis A, Cohen A, Kirk A et al.. The Canadian journal of neurological sciences. Le journal canadien des sciences neurologiques, 2016-04-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Background Updated information on the epidemiology of dementia due to Alzheimer's disease (AD) is needed to ensure that adequate resources are available to meet current and future healthcare needs. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the incidence and prevalence of AD. Methods The MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were searched from 1985 to 2012, as well as the reference lists of selected articles. Included articles had to provide an original population-based estimate for the incidence and/or prevalence of AD. Two individuals independently performed abstract and full-text reviews, data extraction and quality assessments. Random-effects models were employed to generate pooled estimates stratified by age, sex, diagnostic criteria, location (i.e., continent) and time (i.e., when the study was done). Results Of 16,066 abstracts screened, 707 articles were selected for full-text review. A total of 119 studies met the inclusion criteria. In community settings, the overall point prevalence of dementia due to AD among individuals 60+ was 40.2 per 1000 persons (CI95%: 29.1-55.6), and pooled annual period prevalence was 30.4 per 1000 persons (CI95%: 15.6-59.1). In community settings, the overall pooled annual incidence proportion of dementia due to AD among individuals 60+ was 34.1 per 1000 persons (CI95%: 16.4-70.9), and the incidence rate was 15.8 per 1000 person-years (CI95%: 12.9-19.4). Estimates varied significantly with age, diagnostic criteria used and location (i.e., continent). Conclusions The burden of AD dementia is substantial. Significant gaps in our understanding of its epidemiology were identified, even in a high-income country such as Canada. Future studies should assess the impact of using such newer clinical diagnostic criteria for AD dementia such as those of the National Institute on Aging-Alzheimer's Association and/or incorporate validated biomarkers to confirm the presence of Alzheimer pathology to produce more precise estimates of the global burden of AD.
Key findings
- Results Of 16,066 abstracts screened, 707 articles were selected for full-text review.
- In community settings, the overall point prevalence of dementia due to AD among individuals 60+ was 40.2 per 1000 persons (CI95%: 29.1-55.6), and pooled annual period prevalence was 30.4 per 1000 persons (CI95%: 15.6-59.1).
- In community settings, the overall pooled annual incidence proportion of dementia due to AD among individuals 60+ was 34.1 per 1000 persons (CI95%: 16.4-70.9), and the incidence rate was 15.8 per 1000 person-years (CI95%: 12.9-19.4).
- Estimates varied significantly with age, diagnostic criteria used and location (i.e., continent).
- Significant gaps in our understanding of its epidemiology were identified, even in a high-income country such as Canada.
Why it matters
Pooling 119 population-based studies (searched 1985–2012), this review estimated that about 40 in every 1,000 people aged 60+ living in the community have dementia due to Alzheimer's at any one time, with about 15.8 new cases per 1,000 person-years. The authors found that estimates "varied significantly with age, diagnostic criteria used and location," and called for newer diagnostic criteria and biomarkers to sharpen the numbers. It describes how common the disease is; it does not test any treatment or prevention.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Caregiving →
Study details
- Study designsystematic review
- Participants1,000
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 66/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a systematic review of all the studies on the question. Scored zero for effect reported because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (The Canadian journal of neurological sciences. Le journal canadien des sciences neurologiques) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences / Journal Canadien des Sciences Neurologiques: journal h-index 121 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 12 / 12 | A systematic review of all the studies on the question |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2016 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 3 / 4 | 1,000 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | A review of other studies — randomisation is not credited here |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 272 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 22.7 citations a year over 12 year(s) since 2016 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 3.5× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 8 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 49 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Nathalie Jetté: h-index 91 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Calgary: institution h-index 1,028 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 6 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 27307128) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 66 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1017/cjn.2016.36
- PubMed: 27307128
- Original source →
- Free full text: Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences / Journal Canadien des Sciences Neurologiques →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
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's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Fiest, K. M., Roberts, J. I., Maxwell, C. J., Hogan, D. B., Smith, E. E., Frolkis, A., et al. (2016). The Prevalence and Incidence of Dementia Due to Alzheimer's Disease: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. The Canadian journal of neurological sciences. Le journal canadien des sciences neurologiques. https://doi.org/10.1017/cjn.2016.36
Vancouver
Fiest KM, Roberts JI, Maxwell CJ, Hogan DB, Smith EE, Frolkis A, et al. The Prevalence and Incidence of Dementia Due to Alzheimer's Disease: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. The Canadian journal of neurological sciences. Le journal canadien des sciences neurologiques. 2016. doi:10.1017/cjn.2016.36. PMID: 27307128.
BibTeX
@article{fiest2016-27307128,
author = {Fiest, K. M. and Roberts, J. I. and Maxwell, C. J. and Hogan, D. B. and Smith, E. E. and Frolkis, A. and Cohen, A. and Kirk, A. and others},
title = {{The Prevalence and Incidence of Dementia Due to Alzheimer's Disease: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis}},
journal = {The Canadian journal of neurological sciences. Le journal canadien des sciences neurologiques},
year = {2016},
doi = {10.1017/cjn.2016.36},
pmid = {27307128},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1017/cjn.2016.36}
}
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here. Showing 12 of 49.
Later studies that cite this one
8 studies in the alzhub library list this one in their references.
Related studies in Caregiving
Also tagged “prevalence”
1,224 studies in the library carry the topic tag “prevalence”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 1,224 tagged studies.