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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.
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

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.

Wellness

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

Wellness

7 of the most popular health and wellness stories from 2025

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.

Research backs the benefits of a post-meal walk, which triggers the contraction and relaxation of the stomach and intestines and speeds up the movement of food and gas. Photo: Shutterstock
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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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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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.

Sports therapist Gill Stewart walks with her dog Bessie. Walking - and physical activity in general - slows the accumulation in the brain of tau, a protein closely tied to the memory decline seen in Alzheimer’s. Photo: Gill Stewart
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.

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.

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.

Michelle Hale wears her glucose monitor on her bare arm, helping to break the stigma surrounding the use of such wearable medical devices. Photo: Michelle Hale
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.

Red Door Counselling counsellor-in-training Angela Kaur Baura with her mother, who lives in Dubai. Kaur Baura says that Red Door’s online sessions, which she now helps host, help her cope with being a long-distance carer. Photo: Angela Kaur Baura
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.

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.

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.

The Green Mediterranean Diet maintains the same foundation as the Mediterranean Diet but incorporates more polyphenol-rich foods, such as green tea, walnuts. Photo: Shutterstock
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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Members of the Texas National Guard at a military facility in Elwood, southwest of Chicago. Photo: TNS
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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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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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.

Anthea Rowan (right) became her mother’s caregiver after she developed dementia. The author, who wrote about her experience in “A Silent Tsunami”, shares advice for other carers. Photo: Anthea Rowan
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.

Wellness

Digital technology helps prevent dementia among the elderly, study suggests

US researchers find that older adults who use computers, smartphones and the internet have lower rates of cognitive impairment.

Wellness

Don’t drink enough water? 9 side effects you should know about

Not drinking enough water can affect you in many surprising ways beyond just thirst and headaches. Two doctors spell out the details.

Not drinking enough water can lead to prematurely ageing skin. Photo: Shutterstock
Wellness

Want to provide the best care for a dementia sufferer? Put yourself first

With many dementia carers dying before the person they are caring for does, Irish psychologist Dr Sabina Brennan talks about prioritisation.

Irish psychologist Dr Sabina Brennan (left) is pictured with her mother, who was in her 80s when she succumbed to dementia. Brennan is adamant that to look after somebody with dementia well, you first need to look after yourself well. Photo: Sabina Brennan
Wellness

Is copper an unsung hero in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease?

Copper helps support cognitive functions that can help prevent Alzheimer’s, experts say, with food sources including shellfish and mushrooms.

Wellness

This man injects snake venom to boost immunity. How can you increase yours?

Our immune systems are affected by everything from feeling hungry to our age. Exercise, a good diet, vaccines and sleep all help.

Wellness

How do cats with dementia offer people with Alzheimer’s disease new hope?

A new study finds similarities between cat and human brains when it comes to dementia, making them a ‘perfect natural model for Alzheimer’s’.

Understanding cats with dementia may help develop treatments for people with Alzheimer’s disease, researchers say. Photo: Shutterstock
Wellness

Brain scan predicts dementia risk by reading brain’s ‘hidden ageing clock’

A new type of MRI scan detects how quickly someone is ageing and how likely they are to develop dementia long before symptoms might surface.

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Scientists examine brain scan images in a laboratory. A new MRI tool called DunedinPACNI has been unveiled that can predict dementia risk and ageing through brain scans. Photo: Shutterstock
Wellness

New study confirms the best lifestyle for preventing cognitive decline as we age

Challenge your brain, use olive oil instead of butter, and get moving with friends – plus, it’s never too late to start.

United States

Explainer | What is this brain injury that the New York shooter said he had?

‘Study my brain,’ the shooter said in a note found in his wallet that claimed he had chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

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