https://www.scmp.com/rss/514703/feed 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. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Associated Press Associated Press Christel Krueger stared in awe at a mother hippopotamus and its offspring sleeping on a sandbar through the thick glass and murky water of their enclosure at the Berlin Zoo. Krueger, 86, and her daughter were on a specialised zoo tour in March for people with dementia that was organised by Malteser Berlin, part of the international Catholic aid organisation The Sovereign Order of Malta. On the tour with Krueger, Ingrid Barkow watched from her wheelchair as the elephants roamed their habitat,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3351237/how-zoos-sights-sounds-and-smells-can-benefit-people-dementia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3351237/how-zoos-sights-sounds-and-smells-can-benefit-people-dementia?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 11:15:08 +0000 Anthea Rowan Anthea Rowan This is the 87th instalment in a series on dementia, including the research into its causes and treatment, advice for carers, and stories of hope. One morning, in the last year of her life, my mother – in the later stages of dementia – offered to make me a cup of tea. She turned the kettle on and then described what she was doing. “There are four stages to making a mug of tea,” she told me. “I talk myself through them so that I remember: tea bag in cup, hot water, milk, then sugar.” Her delight... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3350666/how-cooking-can-help-lower-your-dementia-risk-even-just-one-meal-week?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3350666/how-cooking-can-help-lower-your-dementia-risk-even-just-one-meal-week?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 04:14:16 +0000 Tribune News Service Tribune News Service The patient initially came to see Dr Mark Supiano in 2017 because her family was concerned about her short-term memory loss. While taking her history and vital signs, Supiano, a geriatrician at the University of Utah, in the United States, saw that her blood pressure was 148/86: above normal despite her taking two medications intended to lower it. “Clearly that was too high,” he says. Several factors could have contributed to the high reading, including the anti-inflammatory drug the 78-year-old... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3349632/how-hypertensions-links-dementia-make-blood-pressure-control-even-more-important?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3349632/how-hypertensions-links-dementia-make-blood-pressure-control-even-more-important?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 23:15:07 +0000 Anthea Rowan Anthea Rowan This is the 86th instalment in a series on dementia, including the research into its causes and treatment, advice for carers, and stories of hope. I was startled by a comment from a friend recently: she told me that she almost never uses the internet. I work, cook, shop and walk listening to podcasts. I read the news online each morning. I use the internet to research, find supper recipes, search for new books to read and download the latest episodes of favourite radio shows. The trace of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3348949/why-internet-use-can-actually-lower-your-dementia-risk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3348949/why-internet-use-can-actually-lower-your-dementia-risk?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 04:15:08 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial The number of people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, has grown to more than 50 million globally. Scientists around the world continue to seek a cure for the disease, while working to develop drugs that can delay the onset of symptoms and slow its progression. Early diagnosis, allowing careful plans to be made for the treatment and care of sufferers, is essential. Many people are unaware they have the disease. But screening has been expensive and invasive. A... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3348884/hong-kongs-world-first-alzheimers-blood-test-will-strengthen-citys-healthcare?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3348884/hong-kongs-world-first-alzheimers-blood-test-will-strengthen-citys-healthcare?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 22:45:08 +0000 Anthea Rowan Anthea Rowan This is the 85th instalment in a series on dementia, including the research into its causes and treatment, advice for carers, and stories of hope. As an erratic sleeper, I worry when I see a headline such as this recent one from Science News: “Poor sleep may account for a large share of dementia cases.” That headline topped an article about a recent study of older adults in the US. It found that about 13 per cent of dementia cases may have roots in insomnia, and that poor sleep may be as... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3347263/how-poor-sleep-can-increase-dementia-risk-and-what-know-about-links?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3347263/how-poor-sleep-can-increase-dementia-risk-and-what-know-about-links?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 23:15:10 +0000 Anthea Rowan Anthea Rowan This is the 84th instalment in a series on dementia, including the research into its causes and treatment, advice for carers, and stories of hope. I did not recognise the signs of dementia developing in mum – the changes in her walking, her frequent need to urinate, her difficulty in swallowing – until quite late. Looking back, I see how they developed one after another. Nearly 80 per cent of all dementias are caused by Alzheimer’s disease. The hallmark of this is the abnormal deposit of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3345912/dementia-can-be-hard-spot-signs-pay-attention-trouble-eating-fitful-sleep?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3345912/dementia-can-be-hard-spot-signs-pay-attention-trouble-eating-fitful-sleep?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 04:15:07 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Megan Worthy still recalls singing in a choir in the Australian capital, Canberra, as she was growing up. Now, as a rare form of early-onset dementia chips away at her vision and other brain functions, the 58-year-old is transported back to her musical youth as she and her daughter, Bronte, sing together with other people with neurological conditions in an Amsterdam concert hall, the Concertgebouw. “It’s pretty brutal,” Worthy said of her rare neurological condition. “I’m starting to lose... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3345892/singing-circle-amsterdam-offers-benefits-dementia-patients?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3345892/singing-circle-amsterdam-offers-benefits-dementia-patients?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 12:07:17 +0000 Anthea Rowan Anthea Rowan This is the 83rd instalment in a series on dementia, including the research into its causes and treatment, advice for carers, and stories of hope. Doing “brain training” tests can make me a bit nervous. The anxiety triggers silly mistakes, and then “poor” results make me more anxious – especially when they are dementia tests. What if I fail, or my score points to a suboptimal brain response? I am also suspicious of them: how could an online test measure brain response accurately, and – even more... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3344094/what-best-brain-training-test-reduce-dementia-risk-study-examines-various-types?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3344094/what-best-brain-training-test-reduce-dementia-risk-study-examines-various-types?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Feb 2026 23:15:10 +0000 dpa dpa Having a brew may be more ‌beneficial than the immediate comfort it offers, experts suggested after a new study linked drinking tea and coffee with a reduced risk of dementia. Those who drink caffeinated versions ‍of these hot drinks also have better mental skills than people who do not, the large new study found. Researchers pinpointed the number of cups each day linked to reduced dementia risk. Experts from Harvard University examined data on 131,000 health workers in the United States, who... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3343295/drinking-tea-and-coffee-every-day-may-lower-dementia-risk-boost-cognitive-function?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3343295/drinking-tea-and-coffee-every-day-may-lower-dementia-risk-boost-cognitive-function?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Feb 2026 20:15:10 +0000 Anthea Rowan Anthea Rowan This is the 82nd instalment in a series on dementia, including the research into its causes and treatment, advice for carers, and stories of hope. Should we eat a high-fat or low-fat diet for health? This debate has shaped health advice for decades, says Emily Sonestedt of Lund University in Sweden. Sonestedt is the senior author of a study that observed that high-fat dairy products – specifically fermented options like cheese and high-fat cream – were associated with a lower risk of dementia in... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3342871/how-much-fat-you-should-eat-day-and-what-foods-eat-plus-why-your-brain-needs-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3342871/how-much-fat-you-should-eat-day-and-what-foods-eat-plus-why-your-brain-needs-it?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 08:14:30 +0000 dpa dpa Ageing has arguably always been a puzzle. There is the 82-year-old part-time farmer down the road who remains light on his feet, while his 60-something accountant neighbour gets short of breath walking from car to office. According ‍to a team of scientists at Vanderbilt University in the US state of Tennessee, “superagers” such as the farmer could have an innate advantage over the prematurely old, at least when it comes to cognition. According to the university, those in their 80s with brain... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3341500/how-do-superagers-stay-so-young-genes-can-play-key-role-study-suggests?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3341500/how-do-superagers-stay-so-young-genes-can-play-key-role-study-suggests?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Jan 2026 08:15:07 +0000 Tribune News Service Tribune News Service In a retirement home in Dallas, Texas, Theresa Steward is skydiving. The 74-year-old American squeals and yelps as the ground rushes up and snow-capped mountains slide past. Her body lurches forward, and she grabs at the air to steady herself. After landing safely, she appears relieved but exhilarated. Steward’s experience was conducted in virtual reality (VR), with a headset that took her on a wild adventure from indoors. “I’m glad I experienced that because I never would do skydiving,” Steward... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3341258/how-vr-experiences-can-help-elderly-people-boost-their-mental-health-and-battle-loneliness?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3341258/how-vr-experiences-can-help-elderly-people-boost-their-mental-health-and-battle-loneliness?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jan 2026 23:15:08 +0000 Anthea Rowan Anthea Rowan This is the 81st instalment in a series on dementia, including the research into its causes and treatment, advice for carers, and stories of hope. My mother often used to wonder whether she was on a ship. As we gazed across the lawn at home, she would ask, “Am I on a ship?” Sometimes it was her first question when she woke in the morning. “Is this my cabin?” she would ask as she looked around her. “I used to share it with somebody. I wonder where she’s gone.” Or: “Will we dock soon?” I used to... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3340853/when-dementia-makes-finding-right-words-hard-what-carers-need-know?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3340853/when-dementia-makes-finding-right-words-hard-what-carers-need-know?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jan 2026 09:15:16 +0000 Shi Huang Shi Huang Neurologist Sun Bomin’s mother led him to believe that Alzheimer’s disease might not be incurable after all. On January 21, Sun released a short video on China’s Yitiao.tv platform and an article detailing what he said was the world’s first effective treatment of Alzheimer’s disease using the high-intensity FUS procedure. His mother, who appeared in the video but was not named, is aged in her nineties and had been suffering from the progressive brain disorder for around eight years. According to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3340862/mothers-mind-appears-restored-might-ultrasound-be-cure-alzheimers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3340862/mothers-mind-appears-restored-might-ultrasound-be-cure-alzheimers?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Jan 2026 01:00:12 +0000 Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Let us be clear: the primary reason to be vaccinated against shingles – a virus that causes a painful rash – is that two jabs provide at least 90 per cent protection against a painful, blistering disease that a third of people in America will suffer in their lifetimes, and a similar number in Hong Kong. It can cause lingering nerve pain and other nasty long-term consequences. Meanwhile, the most important reason for older adults to be vaccinated against RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) is that... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3340363/hidden-benefits-common-vaccines-including-reduced-dementia-and-heart-risks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3340363/hidden-benefits-common-vaccines-including-reduced-dementia-and-heart-risks?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jan 2026 04:44:38 +0000 Dicky Chow,Jessie Zhang,Curtis Lam Dicky Chow,Jessie Zhang,Curtis Lam Looking back at 2025, the city made meaningful strides in supporting its retirees. The government expanded the Elderly Health Care Voucher and Community Care Service Voucher schemes, and invested HK$2 billion (US$256.47 million) in an elderly and rehabilitation technology fund. It also announced 30 measures for the silver economy and formed the Working Group on Ageing Society Strategies to improve cross-bureau coordination. These efforts helped launch the long-awaited Q-Mark Silver Scheme,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3339782/year-hong-kong-must-resolve-rewrite-script-retirement?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3339782/year-hong-kong-must-resolve-rewrite-script-retirement?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Jan 2026 01:30:10 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang A partnership between China’s SciNeuro Pharmaceuticals and Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis on Monday has revived hopes for treating Alzheimer’s disease, which affects some 55 million people worldwide and could cost the global economy US$2.8 trillion by 2030. The deal, worth nearly US$1.7 billion, grants Novartis exclusive worldwide rights to develop and commercialise SciNeuro’s antibody candidates to develop drugs for the progressive brain disease. SciNeuro’s novel amyloid beta targeted... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3339691/chinas-scineuro-novartis-sign-us17-billion-licensing-deal-develop-alzheimers-drugs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3339691/chinas-scineuro-novartis-sign-us17-billion-licensing-deal-develop-alzheimers-drugs?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jan 2026 05:11:08 +0000 Anthea Rowan Anthea Rowan This is the 80th instalment in a series on dementia, including the research into its causes and treatment, advice for carers, and stories of hope. You might have heard of “brain drain” in the context of talented and well-educated people leaving their own country to seek advancement in another. You may not have heard about the brain drains in your head. These are glymphatic channels, microscopic pathways that are part of the brain’s cleaning network, through which cerebrospinal fluid flows,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3339532/singaporean-dementia-study-links-alzheimers-clogged-brain-drains-what-are-they?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3339532/singaporean-dementia-study-links-alzheimers-clogged-brain-drains-what-are-they?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Jan 2026 04:54:45 +0000 Sunika Joshi Sunika Joshi With more than one in three Hongkongers estimated to be 65 or older by 2050, the city must decide whether to spend the coming years improving an overburdened healthcare system or to entirely transform the structure to address the silent epidemic of mental health crises among the elderly. Hong Kong is expected to have the world’s oldest population by 2050. While longevity is a remarkable indication of good health and an excellent medical system, it also comes with challenges beyond those of... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3338612/how-hong-kong-can-tackle-its-silent-elderly-mental-health-epidemic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3338612/how-hong-kong-can-tackle-its-silent-elderly-mental-health-epidemic?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Jan 2026 01:30:09 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The new year is a time when many try to take up new, good habits and commit to improving health and wellness. But resolutions, lofty as they may be, can turn daunting quickly with all the advice and sometimes contradicting information coming at you from news reports, advertisers, influencers, friends and even politicians. But they do not have to be. This year, experts mostly say to keep it simple. As 2026 arrives, here is what you can skip, what you should pay attention to and how to get... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3338104/6-health-and-wellness-tips-2026-keep-things-simple-sleep-and-move-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3338104/6-health-and-wellness-tips-2026-keep-things-simple-sleep-and-move-more?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Jan 2026 08:15:08 +0000 Anthea Rowan Anthea Rowan This is the 79th instalment in a series on dementia, including the research into its causes and treatment, advice for carers, and stories of hope. As the new year approaches, four doctors with a special interest in brain health describe the best ways to start safeguarding brain health now to prevent or delay the onset of dementia later. They also share the steps they are taking now to protect their own brain health. Just move Dr David Ward is a research fellow in ageing and geriatric medicine at... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3337816/how-can-you-protect-your-brain-health-move-brush-regularly-check-your-blood-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3337816/how-can-you-protect-your-brain-health-move-brush-regularly-check-your-blood-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Dec 2025 04:15:08 +0000 Kylie Knott Kylie Knott Health and wellness are areas of huge interest to people globally as they seek to live longer, healthier and happier lives. Understandably, these topics resonated strongly with Post readers in 2025. Most popular was a story in our “Decoding dementia” series about a neurologist who uses five simple tests of cognitive function – including drawing a clock – to help gauge the health of a patient’s brain. Stories about weight loss also struck a chord in 2025, including one on how resistance training... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3337287/7-top-health-and-wellness-stories-2025-weight-loss-fitness-old-age?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3337287/7-top-health-and-wellness-stories-2025-weight-loss-fitness-old-age?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Dec 2025 04:45:08 +0000 Anthea Rowan Anthea Rowan The holiday season is upon us with its late nights, parties and almost always too much to eat and drink. While we might wait until the New Year to worry about the weight that is piling on, a more immediate concern after consuming so much rich food and alcohol is bloating and its inevitable relief: passing wind. Overeating overloads your gut, trapping gas from food breakdown and swallowed air; alcohol slows digestion further. Big meals stretch the stomach, which slows down the speed at which it... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3337058/need-pass-gas-after-eating-how-taking-short-walk-boosts-digestion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3337058/need-pass-gas-after-eating-how-taking-short-walk-boosts-digestion?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Dec 2025 23:15:12 +0000 Anthea Rowan Anthea Rowan This is the 78th instalment in a series on dementia, including the research into its causes and treatment, advice for carers, and stories of hope. I am listening to music as I write this: “Out of My Head” by First Aid Kit. It is an appropriate track, given the title of this series and the piece of writing I am working on. Recently, researchers from the school of public health and preventive medicine at Monash University in Australia published a study that found people who had a habit of always... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3336147/listening-music-can-lower-dementia-risk-nearly-40-new-study-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3336147/listening-music-can-lower-dementia-risk-nearly-40-new-study-says?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Dec 2025 11:15:08 +0000 Dannie Peng Dannie Peng Chinese medical experts have created an ultra-efficient stem cell approach to Parkinson’s disease, raising prospects for treatment for a condition for which there is no known cure. Parkinson’s disease is often referred to as a “movement disorder”. Its symptoms are caused by the brain failing to generate enough dopamine, due to the death or impairment of the neurons responsible for producing the chemical. While researchers around the world are exploring stem cell therapies to replenish lost... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3335179/chinese-scientists-develop-promising-stem-cell-therapy-parkinsons-disease?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3335179/chinese-scientists-develop-promising-stem-cell-therapy-parkinsons-disease?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Dec 2025 22:00:10 +0000 Anthea Rowan Anthea Rowan This is the 77th instalment in a series on dementia, including the research into its causes and treatment, advice for carers, and stories of hope. Thousands of scientific studies confirm the benefits of walking, one of the most extensively researched forms of physical activity due to its accessibility and broad health impacts. We know it is good for us: the contemporary puzzle is how, and how much, walking is best. New research shows that we do not need to take as many steps as previously... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3334503/how-many-steps-walk-minimum-brain-health-decline-according-new-study?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3334503/how-many-steps-walk-minimum-brain-health-decline-according-new-study?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Dec 2025 09:15:18 +0000 Danny Mok Danny Mok Hong Kong police have mounted a search for an elderly man with dementia who went missing in Tuen Mun after having lunch with his family. Police said Leung Woon-yew, 87, lived in Tai Hing Estate in Tuen Mun. He was last seen at around 11am on Sunday in Shan King Estate on Shek Pai Tau Road. The Post learned Leung had lunch with his family at about 1pm near King Lai House at the estate and was expected to return home afterwards. Leung is described as being about 1.7 metres (5 feet 7 inches) tall,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3333977/hong-kong-police-search-missing-elderly-man-87-dementia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3333977/hong-kong-police-search-missing-elderly-man-87-dementia?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Nov 2025 11:25:06 +0000 Anthea Rowan Anthea Rowan This is the 76th instalment in a series on dementia, including the research into its causes and treatment, advice for carers, and stories of hope. A new approach to ageing developed in Australia could influence how older people are supported – at home, in the community, by policymakers and through technology. It could even have the potential to reduce dementia risk in older populations. Intrinsic Capacity, as it is called, takes a holistic view of health, a more complete picture of overall... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3332758/what-intrinsic-capacity-approach-ageing-and-how-can-it-help-cut-dementia-risk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3332758/what-intrinsic-capacity-approach-ageing-and-how-can-it-help-cut-dementia-risk?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Nov 2025 04:15:08 +0000 Tara Loader Wilkinson Tara Loader Wilkinson Former Hongkonger Michelle Hale was 14 when she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, a chronic disease in which the body does not produce enough insulin. Untreated, it causes high blood sugar levels, which can cause organ damage and increase the risks of seizures, heart disease and strokes. Treatment requires a daily regimen of insulin. Type 1 diabetes is not fully understood, but it is an autoimmune disease that seems to start with a genetic predisposition. An environmental trigger, possibly a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3332423/woman-shares-diabetes-journey-raise-awareness-inspire-others-live-full-life?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3332423/woman-shares-diabetes-journey-raise-awareness-inspire-others-live-full-life?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Nov 2025 11:15:07 +0000 Ritu Hemnani Ritu Hemnani For thousands of Hong Kong professionals with ageing parents overseas, caregiving is not a daily routine, but a long-distance act of love, logistics and emotional labour. Angela Kaur Baura, a counsellor-in-training, made a quiet vow at her father’s bedside during what was meant to be a celebration of his and her mother’s 50th wedding anniversary. When he died suddenly, that promise – to care for her mother – became her compass. In the eight months since, she has shuttled between Hong Kong and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3331488/caring-elderly-parent-afar-free-hong-kong-group-therapy-helping-people-cope?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3331488/caring-elderly-parent-afar-free-hong-kong-group-therapy-helping-people-cope?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Nov 2025 03:00:14 +0000 Anthea Rowan Anthea Rowan This is the 75th instalment in a series on dementia, including the research into its causes and treatment, advice for carers, and stories of hope. Purpose is defined as a sense of resolve or determination. My mother’s frequent and treatment-resistant episodes of depression eroded hers. Apathetic, she lost all her verve for life. “I am inert,” she told me once when I texted to ask how she was. It was the perfect description; depression robbed her of motivation, drive and a sense of purpose. I... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3331329/how-having-strong-sense-purpose-especially-retirement-can-reduce-dementia-risk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3331329/how-having-strong-sense-purpose-especially-retirement-can-reduce-dementia-risk?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Nov 2025 09:15:08 +0000 dpa dpa Quitting smoking, even in later life, could help slow down age-related memory problems, a study has found. This adds to evidence that giving up cigarettes may help prevent dementia, experts say, but they stress that more research is needed. A team from University College London (UCL) examined the impact of smoking on age-related cognitive decline, which is when a person’s ability to think, learn and remember gets worse as they get older. The study, published in the Lancet Healthy Longevity... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3329769/quitting-smoking-after-40-linked-slower-memory-decline-50-study-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3329769/quitting-smoking-after-40-linked-slower-memory-decline-50-study-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Oct 2025 11:15:08 +0000 Anthea Rowan Anthea Rowan This is the 74th instalment in a series on dementia, including the research into its causes and treatment, advice for carers, and stories of hope. The food you eat has a profound and reciprocal impact on your brain. While a diet heavy in processed foods, saturated fats, sugar and too much salt significantly raises the risk of cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases like dementia, a smart diet offers comprehensive protection. A “good” diet safeguards your brain by supplying essential... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3329614/what-green-mediterranean-diet-its-health-benefits-and-protection-against-dementia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3329614/what-green-mediterranean-diet-its-health-benefits-and-protection-against-dementia?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Oct 2025 11:15:09 +0000 Tribune News Service Tribune News Service In a scathing critique of US President Donald Trump, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker on Tuesday accused the Republican president of deploying National Guard troops to the Democratic cities of Chicago and Portland based on fixations that stem in part from his being mentally impaired. “This is a man who’s suffering dementia,” Pritzker said in a telephone interview with the Chicago Tribune. “This is a man who has something stuck in his head. He can’t get it out of his head. He doesn’t read. He... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3328203/governor-says-trump-deploying-troops-chicago-due-dementia-obsessive-fixations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3328203/governor-says-trump-deploying-troops-chicago-due-dementia-obsessive-fixations?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Oct 2025 05:37:28 +0000 Anthea Rowan Anthea Rowan This is the 73rd instalment in a series on dementia, including the research into its causes and treatment, advice for carers, and stories of hope. A sobering new report led by the University of Oxford in the UK suggests that having any amount of alcohol may increase the risk of dementia. Researchers from Yale University in the US and the University of Cambridge in the UK also took part in the research that challenges previous suggestions that light to moderate drinking may have a protective... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3328001/why-alcohol-so-bad-brain-and-how-any-amount-increases-dementia-risk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3328001/why-alcohol-so-bad-brain-and-how-any-amount-increases-dementia-risk?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Oct 2025 11:15:07 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Alzheimer’s disease is not the most appealing subject for a film, and that was especially true in early 1990s Hong Kong, where those with mental or physical disabilities were often stigmatised or used as the butt of jokes. It is a testament to Ann Hui On-wah’s skill that she not only managed to get 1995’s Summer Snow produced, but also made the result so palatable that it performed respectably at the box office. The light drama features Josephine Siao Fong-fong as a busy working woman who must... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3326926/how-ann-hui-skilfully-tackled-dementia-summer-snow-award-winning-hong-kong-film?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3326926/how-ann-hui-skilfully-tackled-dementia-summer-snow-award-winning-hong-kong-film?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Sep 2025 09:15:07 +0000 Anthea Rowan Anthea Rowan Five years ago, I knew very little about dementia. It was a word I might have prefaced with the outdated word “senile”. When the disease announced itself in my life, with my mother’s disavowal of me as her daughter, I was forced to confront it. I could no longer put my mother’s forgetting, dropped words and confusion about where she was down to “senior moments”. This was serious, and it was clinical. Since then, I have written hundreds of thousands of words on dementia in the Post, and in my... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3326074/dementia-tips-caregiver-whos-spent-years-talking-experts-about-disease?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3326074/dementia-tips-caregiver-whos-spent-years-talking-experts-about-disease?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Sep 2025 04:15:07 +0000 Anthea Rowan Anthea Rowan This is the 71st instalment in a series on dementia, including the research into its causes and treatment, advice for carers, and stories of hope. Here is the proof you can teach “old dogs” new tricks and that even in our 60s and beyond, people can get fitter, stronger and more resilient to cognitive decline. Laura Baker, a professor in geriatrics at Wake Forest University’s school of medicine, in the US state of North Carolina, recently led a study that examined a combination of interventions... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3325545/over-60-exercising-body-and-mind-can-ward-dementia-study-finds-its-never-too-late?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3325545/over-60-exercising-body-and-mind-can-ward-dementia-study-finds-its-never-too-late?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Sep 2025 11:15:07 +0000 Tribune News Service Tribune News Service It started with a secondary school typing course. Wanda Woods enrolled because her father advised her that typing proficiency would lead to jobs. Sure enough, the United States’ federal Environmental Protection Agency hired her as an after-school worker while she was still a junior. Her supervisor “sat me down and put me on a machine called a word processor”, Woods, now 67, recalled. “It was big and bulky and used magnetic cards to store information. I thought, ‘I kinda like this.’” Decades... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3324702/digital-technology-helps-prevent-dementia-among-elderly-not-cause-it-study-suggests?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3324702/digital-technology-helps-prevent-dementia-among-elderly-not-cause-it-study-suggests?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Sep 2025 11:15:07 +0000 dpa dpa While staying hydrated is key to good health, the effects of dehydration can extend far beyond simply feeling thirsty and having a headache. Even mild dehydration can affect both your body and mind in unexpected ways. For instance, a recent study led by researchers at Liverpool John Moores University in England found that people who habitually drank less than the recommended 1.5 litres (3.2 pints) of water per day showed elevated levels of cortisol – the body’s primary stress hormone. The study... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3323861/side-effects-dehydration-bad-breath-and-cramps-premature-skin-ageing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3323861/side-effects-dehydration-bad-breath-and-cramps-premature-skin-ageing?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Sep 2025 11:15:07 +0000 Anthea Rowan Anthea Rowan This is the 70th instalment in a series on dementia, including the research into its causes and treatment, advice for carers, and stories of hope. Caring for a loved one with dementia is about providing the best care you can. This is a core theme in Irish psychologist Dr Sabina Brennan’s new book, Still Me: A neuroscientist’s guide to caring for someone with dementia. It opens with a poem that explains the title and speaks to the individuality of both the dementia sufferer and their carer. I... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3323434/how-provide-best-care-dementia-sufferer-you-need-put-yourself-first?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3323434/how-provide-best-care-dementia-sufferer-you-need-put-yourself-first?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 31 Aug 2025 23:15:10 +0000 Anthea Rowan Anthea Rowan This is the 69th instalment in a series on dementia, including the research into its causes and treatment, advice for carers, and stories of hope. When you hear the word copper, you may think of the malleable reddish-orange metal used in electrical wiring, plumbing, construction and jewellery that tends to turn your skin green. But you may not be as familiar with dietary copper, an essential trace element. The body needs it in small amounts to function properly. Hong Kong-based functional... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3322172/how-copper-could-improve-brain-health-fight-alzheimers-and-aid-memory-and-concentration?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3322172/how-copper-could-improve-brain-health-fight-alzheimers-and-aid-memory-and-concentration?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Aug 2025 04:26:43 +0000 Anthea Rowan Anthea Rowan Tim Friede, a US truck mechanic turned self-taught snake expert, has what has been described as “super immunity” to snake venom: he has been bitten more than 200 times over nearly two decades by some of the world’s most poisonous snakes. Globally, snake bites kill more than 100,000 people and cause 300,000 permanent disabilities every year. Friede has teamed up with scientists to use his blood to help develop a broad antivenom that could save the lives of people living in remote rural locations... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3321832/how-boost-your-immune-system-naturally-exercise-and-diet-vaccines?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3321832/how-boost-your-immune-system-naturally-exercise-and-diet-vaccines?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 Aug 2025 00:15:09 +0000 dpa dpa Cats can develop dementia similarly to humans with Alzheimer’s disease, say scientists – a discovery that is leading to hopes of a breakthrough in research. A team at Scotland’s University of Edinburgh have carried out a series of postmortem brain examinations on 25 cats that had, when they were alive, exhibited symptoms of dementia – like confusion, sleep disruption and an increase in vocalisation – in a bid to explore better treatments for humans. Researchers of Alzheimer’s have previously... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3321830/can-cats-dementia-offer-people-alzheimers-disease-new-hope-yes-study-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3321830/can-cats-dementia-offer-people-alzheimers-disease-new-hope-yes-study-says?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Aug 2025 20:15:08 +0000 Anthea Rowan Anthea Rowan This is the 68th instalment in a series on dementia, including the research into its causes and treatment, advice for carers, and stories of hope. A team of scientists from Duke University and Harvard University in the US, and the University of Otago in New Zealand, has just unveiled a new MRI-based tool that reads the brain’s “hidden ageing clock”. The DunedinPACNI takes the front of its name from the Dunedin Study, a long-running health research project in New Zealand that began in 1972, while... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3320212/brain-scan-predicts-dementia-risk-reading-brains-hidden-ageing-clock?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3320212/brain-scan-predicts-dementia-risk-reading-brains-hidden-ageing-clock?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Aug 2025 23:15:12 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press It’s official: older people worried about cognitive decline can stay sharper for longer by exercising both their bodies and their brains and eating healthily. That’s according to initial results released on Monday from a rigorous US study of lifestyle changes in seniors at risk of developing dementia. People following a combination of healthier habits slowed typical age-related cognitive decline – achieving scores on brain tests as if they were a year or two younger, researchers reported in JAMA... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/wellness/article/3320277/want-younger-brain-age-lifestyle-you-should-adopt?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/wellness/article/3320277/want-younger-brain-age-lifestyle-you-should-adopt?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Jul 2025 09:00:42 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The degenerative brain disease that has besieged the National Football League (NFL) for two decades with a billion-dollar lawsuit, congressional hearings, an A-list movie and an unrelenting cortege of ex-players’ obituaries has now intruded on America’s favourite sport in the most violent manner yet. The Las Vegas casino worker who killed four people in a New York City skyscraper that is home to the NFL’s headquarters carried a note blaming the league for his mental health problems. Shane... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3320095/what-brain-injury-new-york-shooter-said-he-had?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3320095/what-brain-injury-new-york-shooter-said-he-had?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Jul 2025 05:22:48 +0000 Zhang Tong,Shi Huang,Xinmei Shen Zhang Tong,Shi Huang,Xinmei Shen China has joined the United States in a race to develop technology that could help transform the lives of millions who suffer from debilitating brain injuries or neurodegenerative diseases. In Shanghai this year, a quadruple amputee played a video game through a brain implant that channels his thoughts. Elsewhere, researchers from Tianjin and Beijing inserted implants in 10 volunteers that allowed two-way communication so the brain and machine could learn from each other. Brain-computer... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3319931/china-makes-strides-brain-computer-interface-tech-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3319931/china-makes-strides-brain-computer-interface-tech-race?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Jul 2025 07:00:08 +0000 Anthea Rowan Anthea Rowan This is the 67th instalment in a series on dementia, including the research into its causes and treatment, advice for carers, and stories of hope. Dr Clive Thomas is a mental health nurse in Wales who has worked in memory assessment and dementia for years, giving him deep insights into the ways in which people experience changes both in their memory and their ability to continue living independently. During conventional memory assessments, he says, some people may do really well on testing, but... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3318728/why-hearing-vision-and-other-sensory-loss-have-dementia-links-and-should-be-checked-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3318728/why-hearing-vision-and-other-sensory-loss-have-dementia-links-and-should-be-checked-out?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Jul 2025 23:15:11 +0000