{"id":243,"date":"2025-08-12T08:07:30","date_gmt":"2025-08-12T15:07:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/?p=243"},"modified":"2025-08-12T08:07:30","modified_gmt":"2025-08-12T15:07:30","slug":"china-faces-alzheimer-surge-while-racing-to-improve-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/08\/12\/china-faces-alzheimer-surge-while-racing-to-improve-care\/","title":{"rendered":"China Faces Alzheimer Surge While Racing to Improve Care"},"content":{"rendered":"

China is confronting an unprecedented Alzheimer’s disease challenge, with nearly 17 million people now living with Alzheimer’s and related dementias, almost one quarter of the global total. The newly released 2025 China Alzheimer Report, published in General Psychiatry<\/em>, reveals sharp increases in prevalence and mortality since 1990 and outlines how new diagnostics, treatments, and public health policies are reshaping the nation’s response.<\/p>\n

A Rapidly Growing Burden<\/h2>\n

The report, produced by researchers from Shanghai Jiao Tong University and partner institutions, draws on the Global Burden of Disease study and national health data. It shows that Alzheimer’s prevalence in China rose by more than 240% since 1990, reaching 16.99 million cases in 2021. Women are disproportionately affected, with rates nearly twice those of men. That year, 2.91 million new cases were diagnosed and almost half a million deaths were attributed to Alzheimer’s.<\/p>\n

Eastern, southwestern, and northeastern provinces such as Shanghai, Sichuan, Liaoning, Jiangsu, and Chongqing carry the heaviest load. Overall, China accounts for nearly 30% of global cases, deaths, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) from Alzheimer’s.<\/p>\n

How China Diagnoses Alzheimer’s<\/h2>\n

Standard tools such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) remain central for detecting brain atrophy. Positron emission tomography (PET) is gaining ground for early detection, although high costs and limited access hinder its use. Neuropsychological assessments, fluid biomarkers from cerebrospinal fluid and blood, and even emerging urine-based tests are expanding diagnostic capabilities.<\/p>\n

Recent years have also seen the rise of digital screening tools and computer-assisted memory testing. Domestic platforms like CatCog and CoCoSc are being refined for older Chinese adults, alongside international systems such as Cogstate.<\/p>\n

New and Emerging Treatments<\/h2>\n

Treatment in China is moving beyond symptomatic drugs like donepezil and memantine toward disease-modifying therapies (DMTs). Notable developments include:<\/p>\n