Japan aims to cut number of dementia patients in 70s by 10% over decade

7 million people suffering from dementia by 2025. Woh!

Keep an active mind and body folks. Health is the new wealth.

The government said Thursday it plans to reduce the number of dementia patients in their 70s by 10 percent over the next decade, setting the first such numerical goal to curb growing welfare spending at a time when the Japanese population is rapidly aging.

Right, you know how they will "reduce the number?" It will be by attrition, as those elderly with dementia, over the course of the next decade, will pass away, and the government will point to the "decrease" as the fruits of their efforts!

Like so many other things that are said by the government here, on social welfare issues like these, they make announcements to appease the public to create the appearance of change, when in reality nothing is being done!

It's going to take them at least a decade to implement any changes anyway!

How can you cut the number of patients? Is there a cure?

Seems a very misguided plan ....

This seems like a very daft statement with no way of actually achieving it. The number of dementia sufferers is actually increasing and people are contracting the disease at much younger ages. There is a proven theory between poor sleeping habits and dementia and most of the damage is done during youth while the brain is developing - before 25 years old. Japanese kids and teens have terrible sleeping habits and survive on 4-6 hours sleep through most of their youth. This stops the hippocampus doing it's job and developing properly, which results in a breakdown of one's memory in later life. This pattern of poor sleeping habits continues into adulthood further contributing to the memory breakdown. It also contributes to type B diabetes, which is also increasing in Japan. This pipe dream of cutting dementia will never come true until the lifestyles of youth are changed.

How do you reduce the number? Reclassify?

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gogogo  :How do you reduce the number? Reclassify?

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Precisely.

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I hope this is not just vague waffle to a very serious problem. Dementia and Alzheimer's are heartbreaking illnesses which end up affecting our loved ones.

LOL! How? By just denying their existence. Bravo, Japan!

It is good this has started, but it is toooo late!!!! This Dementia problem has been going on for too long and the cost shoulder have showed this. Unfortunately, somehow the Dementia problem in Japan and in other countries don't get too much attention.

I will recommend the Jp government to put their national research institutes in to action to find a cure, as this can not be trusted to be solved by the private pharmaceutical companies.

reduce the number of dementia patients in their 70s by 10 percent over the next decade

Read that carefully. I hope the government plan isn't to simply wait until they are in their 80s and declare mission accomplished.

@Disillusioned

The latest research on dementia show that it is either a foul-up in the cerebral spinal fluid cleaning system allowing misfolded protein aggregates to accumulate or an immune response to pathogens getting into the brain which is basically the immune system saying "I'm going to take care of this immediate problem, but you're gonna pay for it later".

There appear to be multiple types of dementia, classified by which protein is causing the problem. Two weeks ago, a paper detailed a different protein (TDP-43) than that which is associated with traditional Alzheimer's caused essentially the same symptoms (the newly discovered case is referred to as LATE dementia). Since it is a different protein and is estimated to be present in about 30% of dementia cases, it would explain why Alzheimer's drugs do not work on all dementia patients.

Diet is critical for numerous aspects of health, but the link with late-life has yet to be conclusively shown. Might be there.

Japan's way of decreasing the number of dementia patients: fudge the statistics....

Thorough management of diabetes would prevent a lot of cases...80% of people with a long-term A1c over 7.8, uncontrolled diabetes, get Alzheimer's. Chronic inflammation from gum disease has also been pinpointed as a cause. It's hard to beat heredity, but many cases can be prevented by disease control.

My in-laws, especially those I’ve 50 years old, believe almost anything the government and NHK says. As earlier posters have stated, these announcements are just to appease the public that “the government is on top of it” but I am certain no plans actually exist.

And here is the money shot courtesy of the geniuses of the LDP under Shinzo-kun

"To achieve the goal, the government will take measures such as holding exercise lessons at local community centers as it has been found that physical activity and social engagement could help prevent the disease."

A childish solution created by childish mentalities - again, courtesy of the LDP. Last one out turn off the light.

Japan could do like the US did under Reagan; cut taxes, and put them out on the street.

bearandrodent,

Good points.

The locals tend to believe whatever the government and NHK says.Whenever the media reports a new diet fad like 'the banana diet' or 'natto diet' those items are sold out in an instant at the nearest supermarket.

You would have thought by now that even the apathetic locals would have seen what a crock the LDP and its mouthpiece are,

And how will the Japanese government perform this miracle of cutting dementia numbers? Do they know the cause? Have access to definitive prevention and treatments? No, of course not. Unless they bring in a Logan's Run type system for the over 70s this is just attention seeking nonsense.

The criticsm being posted here suggests that what the government should be doing is nothing. If the government ignored the issue of dementia and the media ignored it, there would be nothing to criticise.

Alternatively, rather than criticising, which anyone can do without effort, how about making some concrete proposals for dealing with dementia?