May 8, 2025 03:18 PM
https://www.zmescience.com/science/news-...-in-china/
EXCERPTS: The world is facing a silent epidemic, one that’s not caused by pathogens, but rather by memory loss. As the world grows older, Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias (collectively called ADD) are becoming widespread concerns; and nowhere is it as bad as in China.
[...] As economies grow, diets change. Sedentary work replaces physical labor. China rapidly expanded its economy and raised living standards, but it didn’t exactly emphasize individual health. Now, this is showing at the population level.
China’s transformation has been dizzying. And, along the way, metabolic health has suffered. Sugary drinks and processed foods have replaced some traditional staples. By 2021, high blood sugar had become the top preventable risk factor for dementia in China, just as it has globally. Smoking and high body weight also remain major contributors, particularly among men. But much of this is clearly attributable to sugar.
In a way, though, this is good news. It means that much of the dementia burden isn’t destiny. It’s modifiable. The right interventions — public campaigns to reduce sugar consumption, better diabetes screening, robust tobacco control — could turn the tide.
But time is short.
As China urbanizes and modernizes, the traditional support systems that once supported older adults — like multigenerational households and close-knit family care — are breaking down. At the same time, urban lifestyles are accelerating metabolic risks tied to dementia, including poor diets, physical inactivity, and rising blood sugar levels. This double blow (less social support and more biological risk) means dementia is not only becoming more common but harder to manage.
There is no cure for Alzheimer’s or most dementias. But there are ways to delay them, sometimes for many years. By targeting the metabolic roots of the disease — and by understanding the social dynamics that fuel its spread — countries like China can still change course.
Controlling high blood sugar is the first step...
[...] But defending against dementia also requires strengthening the social environment. Loneliness and lack of cognitive stimulation are risk factors too. Expanding access to community centers, social programs, and cognitive screening for older adults can help fill the gap left by shrinking family networks... (MORE - missing details)
PAPER: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0322574
EXCERPTS: The world is facing a silent epidemic, one that’s not caused by pathogens, but rather by memory loss. As the world grows older, Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias (collectively called ADD) are becoming widespread concerns; and nowhere is it as bad as in China.
[...] As economies grow, diets change. Sedentary work replaces physical labor. China rapidly expanded its economy and raised living standards, but it didn’t exactly emphasize individual health. Now, this is showing at the population level.
China’s transformation has been dizzying. And, along the way, metabolic health has suffered. Sugary drinks and processed foods have replaced some traditional staples. By 2021, high blood sugar had become the top preventable risk factor for dementia in China, just as it has globally. Smoking and high body weight also remain major contributors, particularly among men. But much of this is clearly attributable to sugar.
In a way, though, this is good news. It means that much of the dementia burden isn’t destiny. It’s modifiable. The right interventions — public campaigns to reduce sugar consumption, better diabetes screening, robust tobacco control — could turn the tide.
But time is short.
As China urbanizes and modernizes, the traditional support systems that once supported older adults — like multigenerational households and close-knit family care — are breaking down. At the same time, urban lifestyles are accelerating metabolic risks tied to dementia, including poor diets, physical inactivity, and rising blood sugar levels. This double blow (less social support and more biological risk) means dementia is not only becoming more common but harder to manage.
There is no cure for Alzheimer’s or most dementias. But there are ways to delay them, sometimes for many years. By targeting the metabolic roots of the disease — and by understanding the social dynamics that fuel its spread — countries like China can still change course.
Controlling high blood sugar is the first step...
[...] But defending against dementia also requires strengthening the social environment. Loneliness and lack of cognitive stimulation are risk factors too. Expanding access to community centers, social programs, and cognitive screening for older adults can help fill the gap left by shrinking family networks... (MORE - missing details)
PAPER: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0322574
