A new long-term study has found that anemia, a condition characterised by insufficient haemoglobin to carry oxygen to the body’s organs and tissues, may significantly raise the risk of dementia in adults aged 60 and over, and is associated with elevated blood biomarkers linked to Alzheimer’s disease and neurodegeneration.
Researchers from Sweden and Italy analysed data from 2,282 dementia-free adults participating in the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care in Kungsholmen (SNAC-K), a population-based cohort designed to track the ageing process over time. Haemoglobin levels and neurodegenerative biomarkers were measured at baseline, with follow-up assessments conducted every three to six years.
Over a mean follow-up period of 9.3 years, 362 participants developed dementia. Those with anemia at baseline were 66% more likely to develop the condition compared with non-anaemic individuals. Low haemoglobin was also associated with higher blood levels of Alzheimer ‘s-related proteins, including phosphorylated tau 217 (p-tau217), neurofilament light chain (NfL), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), markers of neuronal damage and brain inflammation. This association was more pronounced in men than in women.
The risk was particularly elevated among participants who had both anemia and high NfL levels, where the likelihood of developing dementia was 3.5 times higher than in those without either condition.
The authors propose that reduced oxygen delivery to the brain may place sustained stress on neurons, damage cerebral blood vessels, and accelerate neurodegeneration over time. They suggest anemia could serve as a clinically relevant and potentially modifiable risk factor in dementia prevention, though further long-term studies are needed to determine whether treating the condition can slow cognitive decline.
Source: Valletta M et al. Anemia and Blood Biomarkers of Alzheimer’s Disease in Dementia Development. JAMA Network Open (2026). DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen. 2026.4029
Researchers from Sweden and Italy analysed data from 2,282 dementia-free adults participating in the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care in Kungsholmen (SNAC-K), a population-based cohort designed to track the ageing process over time. Haemoglobin levels and neurodegenerative biomarkers were measured at baseline, with follow-up assessments conducted every three to six years.
Over a mean follow-up period of 9.3 years, 362 participants developed dementia. Those with anemia at baseline were 66% more likely to develop the condition compared with non-anaemic individuals. Low haemoglobin was also associated with higher blood levels of Alzheimer ‘s-related proteins, including phosphorylated tau 217 (p-tau217), neurofilament light chain (NfL), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), markers of neuronal damage and brain inflammation. This association was more pronounced in men than in women.
The risk was particularly elevated among participants who had both anemia and high NfL levels, where the likelihood of developing dementia was 3.5 times higher than in those without either condition.
The authors propose that reduced oxygen delivery to the brain may place sustained stress on neurons, damage cerebral blood vessels, and accelerate neurodegeneration over time. They suggest anemia could serve as a clinically relevant and potentially modifiable risk factor in dementia prevention, though further long-term studies are needed to determine whether treating the condition can slow cognitive decline.
Source: Valletta M et al. Anemia and Blood Biomarkers of Alzheimer’s Disease in Dementia Development. JAMA Network Open (2026). DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen. 2026.4029
