People who developed an early onset of Alzheimer’s disease — before turning 65 — displayed symptoms and conditions different to those in late-onset Alzheimer’s, accumulating a wide range of health problems, particularly during the five years preceding diagnosis, a study has found.
However, cardiovascular risk factors traditionally associated with Alzheimer’s disease were found to be no more common among those diagnosed at working age, compared to age- and sex-matched healthy people.
Researchers from the University of Oulu and the University of Eastern Finland said the group is more likely to experience depression, dizziness, headaches, traumatic brain injuries, epilepsy, cerebrovascular disorders, thyroid diseases and problems related to heavy alcohol use. Cardiovascular risk factors, alongside advanced age, are among the best-known risk factors for the neurodegenerative disease, the researchers said.
The study’s findings are based on patient data from memory clinics at Oulu University Hospital and Kuopio University Hospital, combined with nationwide health register data. The researchers also found no significant differences in morbidity 11 to 15 years before diagnosis, suggesting that identifiable changes begin to emerge mainly closer to disease onset. The study included 407 people with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, whose health records were compared with those of more than 4,000 age- and sex-matched people without the neurodegenerative disease. Diseases and health conditions were examined that occurred during the 15 years preceding an Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis.
“EOAD (early onset Alzheimer’s disease) patients had higher prevalence of vertigo, depression, headache, delirium, brain injuries, thyroid disorders, alcohol-related disorders, epilepsy, strokes, and otorhinolaryngologic diseases 1-5 years before diagnosis,” the authors wrote.
