10 health conditions may be linked to Alzheimer’s, years before diagnosis
A Finnish study found that several health conditions were more common in people later diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s, particularly in the five years before diagnosis. The findings may offer clues for earlier detection, but they do not show that these conditions cause Alzheimer’s or can reliably predict it.
Researchers compared medical records for 407 people diagnosed before age 65 with records for 4,035 people of similar age and sex, looking back 15 years; the average age at diagnosis was 60. Depression, vertigo and headaches were among the conditions linked to higher prevalence, and healthcare visits rose around diagnosis. The observational study could not confirm all diagnoses or assess disease severity, and its results may not apply beyond Finland.
- Several conditions were more common before early-onset Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
- Differences were strongest in the five years beforehand.
- The study shows associations, not reliable predictions or causes.
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Alzheimer’s disease affects memory and other thinking skills, and early-onset Alzheimer’s is diagnosed before age 65. A diagnosis is based on a person’s symptoms and medical assessment; changes in health can have many possible explanations.
Researchers can compare people’s medical records to look for health conditions that occur more often among those later diagnosed. Such patterns may help guide further research, but an association does not show that one condition causes Alzheimer’s or can predict who will develop it.
The Finnish study focused on people diagnosed before 65, so its findings may not apply to older people or populations elsewhere. Its records also could not establish how severe each condition was or confirm every diagnosis.