115 million in China may develop dementia by 2050, study warns

The research revealed that dementia cases in China surged from around 4 million in 1990 to 17 million by 2021. This upward trend is expected to escalate, potentially reaching 115 million within the next three decades, the South China Morning Post reported.

Although the study did not pinpoint exact reasons for this significant rise, China's already dealing with a rapidly aging population, which poses substantial socio-economic challenges.

"The disease burden of Alzheimer’s and other dementias (ADD) in China and globally has increased year by year from 1990 to 2021," explained Siyu Liu and Geng Daoying from Fudan University, co-authors of the study.

The study, utilizing data from the Global Burden of Disease database, also noted that while dementia cases worldwide doubled from 1990 to 2021, cases in China tripled during the same period.

Researchers indicated diabetes, obesity and high smoking rates as significant risk factors likely contributing to the rise in dementia cases. China notably has one of the highest smoking rates globally, with around 48% of Chinese men being smokers.

Dementia most frequently affects individuals aged between 80 and 84 in China, with women particularly vulnerable, the study stated.