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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 recent study found that about 13 per cent of dementia cases may have roots in insomnia, and that poor sleep may be as significant a dementia risk factor as hearing loss and hypertension. Photo: Shutterstock
Wellness

Can poor sleep lead to dementia? What you need to know about the links

Studies link poor-quality sleep to dementia types like Alzheimer’s disease, but experts explain why the picture might be more complex.

Wellness

The early signs of dementia you need to look for in loved ones and yourself

The Netherlands

Singing circle in Amsterdam offers benefits to dementia patients

Wellness

What is the best brain training test to reduce dementia risk?

Study finds speed-based brain training better than memory or reasoning training in reducing risk of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia.

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In a study on whether specific types of cognitive training could reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia, the group that undertook speed training improved the most, in areas including safer driving, improved mood and more self-confidence. Photo: Shutterstock
Wellness

Can drinking tea and coffee reduce dementia risk? Yes, according to a study

A study conducted over 43 years suggests drinking two to three daily coffees, or one to two cups of tea, for a reduced risk of dementia.

Wellness

How much fat you should eat a day and why your brain needs it

Fat is vital, but it must be the right sort. Experts explain why that is, what the best foods to eat are, and how many grams you should eat.

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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.

A team of scientists say “superagers” are likely to possess genetic advantages that reduce their dementia risk. Photo: Shutterstock
Wellness

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

From skydiving to gardening, VR experiences offered to residents of US retirement homes are having positive effects on their quality of life.

Wellness

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

Experts say dementia patients often lose the ability to communicate, but the metaphors they use can help carers better understand them.

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.

Various studies around the world have linked jabs for influenza, shingles, RSV and more to a lowered risk of diseases associated with ageing, prompting further research into what doctors call “off-target” benefits. Photo: Shutterstock
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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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.

An elderly Asian woman with dementia is comforted by her daughter. A study of nearly 1,000 Singaporeans found that those showing early signs of Alzheimer’s tended to have “enlarged perivascular spaces”, or blocked glymphatic channels, the pathways through which cerebrospinal fluid washes away toxins from the brain. Photo: Shutterstock
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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An elderly woman at Oi Man Estate in Ho Man Tin in October 2025. Photo: Jelly Tse
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

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

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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.

Terri Cheong saw her weight fall 19kg from February to September, through strength training and a change in diet. Photo: Ultimate Performance
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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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.

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.

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