Many Alzheimer's patients don't receive proper treatment

Medical experts in Shanghai are calling for early detection and intervention of Alzheimer's disease as the city's aging population is increasing rapidly.

At least 300,000 people in Shanghai suffer from Alzheimer's disease, but many of them don't receive proper treatment due to lack of awareness, experts said at the International Symposium on Aging and Medicine held recently in Shanghai.

There is no cure for Alzheimer's disease, but early detection and intervention can help prevent the disease from developing, said Bao Zhijun, vice-president of Huadong Hospital in Shanghai.

Experts said incidence of the disease among people aged 60 and older is 20 to 30 percent, and up to 50 percent among those aged 80 and older.

"In this regard, it's very necessary to call the public for wide attention on the disease. More education work should be given to the public, especially those with a history of the disease in their family," Bao said at the symposium.

More than 250 professionals and experts from 10 countries and regions attended the symposium to discuss and exchange the latest research and information on age-related diseases.