Overview of Chinese research on senile dementia in mainland China

Studies of senile dementia (SD) on the Chinese mainland, done over the decades, have furthered the understanding of its epidemiology, basic and clinical medical aspects, and effects on health economics, to name a few areas. There are 6–7 million Chinese people with SD, with an incidence of 5–7% of people over 65 years of age. In this group, Alzheimer's accounts for 50–60% of SD. The pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease has been investigated, and known risk factors include β-amyloid, formaldehyde, acetyl cholinesterase, inflammation, neuronal dysfunction and death. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is an independent risk factor of SD. Comprehensive treatment can improve clinical efficacy, and quality of life can be improved by appropriate and reasonable care and rehabilitation therapy. However, swallowing disorders, infection and systemic failure remain the main causes of death among SD patients. In the Chinese mainland, SD extracts a total annual economic loss of 83.5–97.4 billion yuan and is responsible for 51.3–59.8 billion yuan in annual healthcare costs. Despite the progress to date, basic research and drug development for SD are needed. Also, a more evidence-based approach to Chinese medicine research would be prudent. Such research results can hopefully provide valuable cues for governmental decision-making and assist in addressing and halting the incidence of SD in China.

Research highlights▶ The high prevalence of senile dementia (SD) deleteriously affects the health of Chinese elderly people. ▶ The pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease(AD) mainly involves A-beta deposits, neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), abnormal Tau protein and increased formaldehyde, etc. ▶ Clinical evaluation, diagnostic biomarkers, rehabilitation treatment, health care and health economics for SD are extensively studied. ▶ SD annually extracts an enormous economic loss and incurs a huge amount of healthcare costs in the Chinese mainland.