Aging population has become a problem not only in China, but also in Japan, Germany, Brazil, South Korea, United States, and much of Western Europe. (Photo : Getty Images)
Growing older can be both a blessing and a curse. Take it from a 90-year-old bedridden elderly who has surely enjoyed his youth, but is now suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
Alzheimer’s disease is a type of dementia that causes problems with thinking, memory, and behavior. The symptoms usually develop slower, but it gets worse over time.
“Population aging is one of the biggest successes of humankind. Ironically, it is creating some of modern society’s most serious challenges,” said Nancy Morrow-Howell, a leading global expert on civic and social engagement later in life and also a Washington University researcher.
“We need to keep trying to extend life while figuring out the profound implications of this new longevity,” added Morrow-Howell.
The goal of the conference was to stimulate collaborative research and dialogues that will advance solutions to the challenges posed by China’s aging population.
In China, the number of Chinese citizens over the age of 65 is expected to reach 329 million by the year 2050.
Of those people, about 120 million will be over age 80, with some 20 percent suffering from dementia.
If this continues, Alzheimer’s disease could be the costliest, apart from being the most prevalent diseases in China.
“We are committed not only to continuing the critical conversation that was begun here, but also to work toward real-world solutions to these issues through our scholarship and research,” said David Holtzman, MD, a leading global expert on Alzheimer’s disease and related neurological diseases.
Morrow-Howell and Holtzman came together for a major conference, the “Forum for Greater China: An Aging Population” held on Jan. 21 at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Shanghai.
Holtzman further revealed that Alzheimer’s disease can now be detected even before the memory decline is detected.
There are number of very promising “disease-modifying treatments” being tested nowadays that have a good chance to make a good impact in the near future.
Alzheimer’s disease can be a major burden on China’s aging population. The goal is to “decrease the time of living with disability and disease before we die.”
Aging population has become a problem not only in China, but also in Japan, Germany, Brazil, South Korea, United States, and much of Western Europe.
Scholars concluded that innovation and collaboration in the field of aging solutions could offer China to be a global leader in solving one of the world’s most crucial problems.
