Abstract
Alzheimers Dement. 2026 Oct;22(10):e71928. doi: 10.1002/alz.71928.
ABSTRACT
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia worldwide, yet clinical trials remain unrepresentative of those most affected. Ethnic minoritized groups, socioeconomically deprived communities, adults over 75, and populations in low- and middle-income countries are consistently underrepresented, limiting generalizability and reinforcing health inequities. This white paper draws on an international roundtable on Diversity and Inclusion in Dementia Trials, convened by the UK Dementia Trials Network at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference 2025. We determined that key barriers to research participation included geographic distance, financial burden, restrictive eligibility criteria, invasive procedures, and limited study partner support. We also highlight gaps in ethnic diversity and the inadequate integration of sex and gender considerations in trial design and reporting. Improving representation in AD trials is both a scientific and moral imperative. Achieving this requires coordinated action across community engagement and trust building, data transparency and reporting, global trial access and capacity building, eligibility criteria reform, and financial and logistical support for participants. We propose an expert-informed implementation framework derived from the roundtable that identifies actionable strategies, responsible stakeholders, measurable indicators, and expected implementation outcomes to support translation of our recommendations into practice.
PMID:42928702 | PMC:PMC13696990 | DOI:10.1002/alz.71928
UK DRI Authors
