Research focused on tackling future rise in dementia cases

On a Saturday morning in October, Zhang Zhenxin, a professor specializing in dementia at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, talked with a 61-year-old retiree at a community in a suburb of Beijing.

"It started about three to four years ago," said the retiree, surnamed Liu. "I'd been taking pills every day for many years to reduce cholesterol, but I found myself starting to forget to take them."

Liu, who suspected he might be developing dementia, was asked questions by Zhang about his experiences and hobbies, and asked to perform simple memory, language and visual tests.