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Dementia

Dementia
This condition – which robs people of their memory, their ability to think and make decisions – affects more than 55 million worldwide. Here’s where you’ll learn what you can do about dementia, from changing your lifestyle to lower your risk of getting it to spotting the warning signs in older people. Discover the latest news on potential drugs to treat, even cure, the disease, and the best ways to manage it.
A team of scientists say “superagers” are likely to possess genetic advantages that reduce their dementia risk. Photo: Shutterstock
Wellness

How do superagers stay so young? Genes can play a key role, study suggests

People in their 80s with high brain function are far less likely to carry the APOE4 gene than those showing mental decline, research finds.

Wellness

Skydiving? It’s just another day for these retirement home residents

Wellness

When dementia steals the right words, the ‘wrong’ ones speak volumes

Science

A mother’s mind appears restored: might ultrasound be a cure for Alzheimer’s?

After treatment for a separate condition, a Chinese neurologist noticed improvements in cognition.

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Chinese neurologist Sun Bomin says high-intensity focused ultrasound treatment of his mother and apparent alleviation of some Alzheimer’s symptoms sparked him to study it as a viable treatment for the condition. Photo: Handout
Wellness

The hidden benefits of common vaccines, including reduced dementia, heart risks

Flu, RSV, shingles, Covid and other vaccines have ‘off-target’ benefits for older adults, making them ‘key tools’ for healthy ageing.

Hong Kong economy

Opinion | This year, Hong Kong must resolve to rewrite the script for retirement

Any long-term solution requires a re-imagination of retirement – beyond the outdated view of retirees as passive welfare recipients.

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Made in China 2025

Novartis, SciNeuro deal offers hope for 55 million suffering from Alzheimer’s

SciNeuro’s anti-amyloid programme is one of the firm’s key strategic research and development priorities to target the brain disease.

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Swiss drugmaker Novartis has gained global rights over SciNeuro’s novel amyloid beta targeted antibody programme. Photo: Reuters
Wellness

Singaporean dementia study links Alzheimer’s to clogged ‘brain drains’

Blocked glymphatic channels, part of the brain’s waste-cleaning network, could be an early Alzheimer’s marker, Singaporean researchers find.

Hong Kong society

Opinion | Hong Kong’s ageing population needs purpose, not just medical care

Too many among the city’s ageing population struggle on their own due to stigmas around mental health and a lack of targeted policies.

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Wellness

6 health and wellness tips for 2026 – keep things simple, sleep, move more

Experts reveal what simple health habits you should develop in 2026, from prioritising sleep to walking more to skipping wellness fads.

Hikers at Dragon’s Back trail in Shek O, Hong Kong. Research shows walking is great for physical and mental health. Photo: Eugene Lee
Wellness

Experts’ tips on safeguarding your brain health – one is being social

Maintaining good oral hygiene, regular exercise and increasing your social interactions can help prevent or delay the onset of dementia.

Meeting new people will push you to have conversations and help you grow a support system that will be there in difficult times. It is one of the ways that can help you protect your brain health. Photo: Shutterstock
Wellness

7 of the most popular health and wellness stories from 2025

Body transformations, scientific breakthroughs and weight-loss journeys are among your most-read health and wellness stories this year.

Wellness

Need to pass gas after eating? Why taking a short walk is so good for you

‘If you take 100 steps after each meal, you’ll live to 99,’ an ancient Chinese proverb says. Here is why a post-meal walk is so beneficial.

Wellness

Listening to music can lower dementia risk by nearly 40%, new study says

Research shows how listening to music can both lower dementia risk and improve cognitive areas like memory, attention and problem-solving.

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Want to boost brain health? A study suggests regular music listening may cut dementia risk by 39 per cent. Photo: Shutterstock
Science

Chinese scientists develop promising stem cell therapy for Parkinson’s

New biotech allows ‘seeds’ planted in the brain to differentiate into new nerve cells, reshaping its neural network.

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Chinese medical experts have created an ultra-efficient stem cell treatment for Parkinson’s disease that has achieved remarkable results in clinical trials. Picture: Shutterstock Images
Wellness

How many steps should you walk for minimum brain health decline?

A new study suggests that walking’s potential benefits in slowing cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s may begin well below 10,000 steps a day.

Hong Kong society

Hong Kong police search for missing elderly man, 87, with dementia

Leung Woon-yew was last seen at around 11am on Sunday in Shan King Estate, police say.

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Wellness

A new ‘fuel tank’ approach to ageing could cut dementia risk

Intrinsic Capacity focuses on what people can and cannot do as they get older to help them make lifestyle changes to offset weaknesses.

A new approach to ageing that measures cognition, mobility, psychological health, sensory function and vital capacity might help prevent or delay dementia. Photo: Shutterstock
Wellness

Why does this influencer celebrate her diabetes? To help inspire others

A woman with type 1 diabetes on living ‘a fabulous life’ with the disease, plus a look at wellness resorts catering to people with diabetes.

Wellness

Free Hong Kong therapy sessions help long-distance carers ‘feel less alone’

Being a carer for an ageing relative in another country can be draining. Red Door Counselling’s weekly online sessions are here to help.

Wellness

How having a strong sense of purpose can reduce dementia risk

Two separate studies have found that having meaning in your life can lower dementia risk by 19 per cent and 28 per cent, respectively.

Volunteering in the community is a proven way to stoke a sense of purpose in life as we age. Photo: Shutterstock
Wellness

Quitting smoking after 40 linked to slower memory decline by up to 50%

Research shows quitting smoking, even later in life, is associated with better memory and language skills than if people continue to smoke.

A new study suggests that quitting smoking after 40 may slow down a decline in memory and verbal skills. Photo: SCMP
Wellness

What is the Green Mediterranean diet and is it your brain’s best ally?

The plant-focused Green Mediterranean diet delivers even more brain benefits than the regular Mediterranean diet, experts say.

United States

Governor says Trump deploying troops to Chicago due to ‘dementia’, fixations

J.B. Pritzker calls Donald Trump ‘mentally impaired’ as the US president considers invoking the Insurrection Act.

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Wellness

Any amount of alcohol increases dementia risk, study finds. Why is it so bad?

A sobering new report challenges previous suggestions that light to moderate drinking may have a protective effect against dementia.

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Any amount of alcohol may increase the risk of dementia, according to a new study led by the University of Oxford. Photo: Shutterstock
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

How Ann Hui skilfully tackled dementia in lauded Hong Kong film Summer Snow

Hui’s 1995 film Summer Snow presented a warm and gentle picture of Alzheimer’s disease, a stigmatised subject in Hong Kong at the time.

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Roy Chiao (left) and Josephine Siao Fong-fong in a still from Summer Snow (1995), directed by Ann Hui, an award-winning film that tackled the subject of dementia. Photo: SCMP
Wellness

Her mum had dementia. She wrote a book about it. Here’s what she’s learned

On World Alzheimer’s Day, Anthea Rowan shares dementia truths gleaned from caring for her mum and years of research and speaking to experts.

Wellness

Over 60? It’s not too late – exercising body and mind can ward off dementia

Research shows that regardless of age, training your body and brain can boost your cognition and resilience against dementia.

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