Alzheimer's blood biomarkers vary across African populations

A large international study led by Andrea Benedet of University of Gothenburg and Rufus Akinyemi of University of Ibadan analyzed blood samples from 949 Nigerians over age 50 and 196 Tanzanians, comparing them with a Canadian cohort. Published in Tata Communications, the study found that established Alzheimer's biomarkers like p-tau217 show similar patterns across populations, but the broader plasma proteome differs between African and North American groups. The researchers caution that blood tests developed largely in European and North American populations may not be optimally calibrated for African populations, and comorbidities such as heart disease, infections, and high cholesterol can influence protein levels. This is the largest Alzheimer's biomarker study conducted in Africa to date, highlighting the need for population-specific validation of blood-based diagnostics.