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Anthea Rowan
SCMP contributor
Anthea Rowan has written for papers and magazines on almost every continent and on a huge variety of subjects, from travel in Africa to mental illness in the States to education in Europe. Her work has appeared in The Times in London, the Washington Post in America and regularly in the South China Morning Post. She is the author of A Silent Tsunami: Swimming Against the Tide of My Mother’s Dementia.
Anthea Rowan has written for papers and magazines on almost every continent and on a huge variety of subjects, from travel in Africa to mental illness in the States to education in Europe. Her work has appeared in The Times in London, the Washington Post in America and regularly in the South China Morning Post. She is the author of A Silent Tsunami: Swimming Against the Tide of My Mother’s Dementia.
Swimming is not just a great physical exercise but is also associated with better cognition and memory, and improved blood flow to the brain.
Journalist Sandra Parsons, 63, and entrepreneur Alison Cork, 61, describe how they put the brakes on their biological ages and live better.
Shared physical activities like walking, hiking, dancing or playing a sport together help individuals connect on a symbolic level, experts say.
Widowed, divorced and never-married individuals in a US study had roughly 50 per cent or lower dementia risk compared with married people.
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World No Tobacco Day is a good time to recall how smoking affects nearly every part of your body and causes or aggravates various conditions.
Asking questions and pursuing lifelong learning may offset – or even prevent – Alzheimer’s disease and improve brain health.
New research gives hope to potentially preventing the herpes simplex 1 virus from waking up and activating immune responses in the body.
Studies suggest that ensuring good gut health – such as by eating 30 different plant foods weekly – can safeguard your brain health.
The Game of Thrones actress had her first stroke aged 24. We talk to experts on the causes of ‘young strokes’ and how to help avoid them.
Studies suggest even small amounts of exercise can help reduce the risk of developing dementia – and you are never too old to get started.
Deciding to talk about a less-than-satisfactory sex life, to stop pretending everything’s fine, is a powerful step to fixing it, experts say.
Choline may lower the risk of dementia and mild cognitive impairment, and helps with gene expression, protein production and DNA repair.
Breakfast should not be skipped, especially if you are a woman, nutritionists say. Eat it soon after you awake and include protein, they add.
Protein clumps in the brain have long been associated with Alzheimer’s, but other potential causes of the condition are now in the spotlight.
Dementia risk factors range from mental health to diet. Ask your doctor about them to help you slow down or prevent the onset of disease.
A sleep expert and recovering insomniac offers advice on World Sleep Day for people who lie awake at night worrying about not resting.
Do you wake up on the right or wrong side of the bed? A Hong Kong-based counsellor explains how diet, exercise and visualising your day help.
Professors, a surgeon and a scientist on how to feel young and healthy for as long as possible, mentally as well as physically.
It is known that keeping pets can support better mental health. In the case of dementia patients they also give them purpose and comfort.
Sepsis can quickly cause tissue damage, organ failure and death. An expert explains why it is so deadly and gives prevention tips.
Lifestyle changes and medicine for cardiovascular problems may help lower the risks of blood vessel damage and so keep dementia at bay.
Pap smears save many lives, but many women avoid the uncomfortable and intrusive procedure. New self-test kits could change this.
On World Cancer Day, we look at advances in cancer research, prevention and treatment that bring new hope and are extending or saving lives.
Studies show that higher levels of loneliness and social isolation – especially in older adults – are linked to greater dementia risk.
Building muscle through resistance or strength training helps protect from sarcopenia, an age-related condition women suffer more than men.
Studies show moderate alcohol consumption might be good for us, but it can also cause cancer, dementia – and deadly falls.
A psychologist’s ‘virtual dementia tours’ are designed to build sensitivity and awareness in those caring for others with the condition.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of severe vision impairment, comes in dry and wet versions, with treatment for both.
Leading global trends in the American College of Sports Medicine’s 2025 report include advances in wearable tech beyond tracking steps.
Is it dementia? A popular neurologist uses five simple tests of cognitive function to help gauge the health of a patient’s brain.
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