General Psychiatry (Feb 2022)

The China Alzheimer Report 2022

  • Peng Yin,
  • Jinlei Qi,
  • Maigeng Zhou,
  • Ying Wang,
  • Chunbo Li,
  • Qiang Huang,
  • Yikang Zhu,
  • Yongbo Hu,
  • Zhihui Wang,
  • Yuan Zhu,
  • Jianping Li,
  • Gang Wang,
  • Yiran Wang,
  • Pengfei Wang,
  • Rujing Ren,
  • Shaohui Lin,
  • Xinya Liu,
  • Ran Tang,
  • Jintao Wang,
  • Xinyi Xie,
  • Shishuang Cui,
  • Xiaoping Yu,
  • Yanyan Huang,
  • Yisong Hu

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1136/gpsych-2022-100751
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 35, no. 1

Abstract

Read online

China’s population has rapidly aged over the recent decades of social and economic development as neurodegenerative disorders have proliferated, especially Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related dementias (ADRD). AD’s incidence rate, morbidity, and mortality have steadily increased to make it presently the fifth leading cause of death among urban and rural residents in China and magnify the resulting financial burdens on individuals, families and society. The ‘Healthy China Action’ plan of 2019–2030 promotes the transition from disease treatment to health maintenance for this expanding population with ADRD. This report describes related epidemiological trends, evaluates the economic burden of the disease, outlines current clinical diagnosis and treatment status and delineates existing available public health resources. More specifically, it examines the public health impact of ADRD, including prevalence, mortality, costs, usage of care, and the overall effect on caregivers and society. In addition, this special report presents technical guidance and supports for the prevention and treatment of AD, provides expertise to guide relevant governmental healthcare policy development and suggests an information platform for international exchange and cooperation.