Experts urge Alzheimer's awareness
专家呼吁提高阿尔兹海默病意识
Many fail to seek medical consultation after experiencing early warning signs
许多人在出现早期预警症状后未及时就诊
Although over 90 percent of Chinese people have a basic understanding of Alzheimer's disease, only one in 10 would seek medical consultation if they experienced trouble remembering and concentrating or had other early signs of the memory-robbing illness, a recent survey shows.
尽管超过90%的中国人对阿尔兹海默病有基本了解，仅有10%的人在出现记忆力问题、注意力问题以及其他早期记忆消除症状后会及时就诊，一项新调查显示。
As China's population is aging rapidly and is expected to see rising levels of the brain disorder, experts have called for stepping up education on early prevention measures and boosting screening among high-risk groups.
随着中国人口迅速老龄化，大脑疾病患病率上升，专家要求加快普及预防措施，并加强对高风险人群的筛查。
In a survey of more than 20,600 people across the nation, researchers found that females, adults aged 21 to 40, and those living in urban areas and with a college degree or higher demonstrate better awareness of the disease. The overall rate of awareness for Chinese adults stands at 91.5 percent.
在一项对全国超过20600人的调查中，研究者发现女性、21至40岁人群、城市人群以及受高等教育的人群对阿尔兹海默病有更好的了解，我国成年居民阿尔茨海默病的总体知晓率为91.5%。
The survey was conducted by the China Association for Alzheimer's Disease this year and was published on Saturday, ahead of World Alzheimer's Day, which fell on Wednesday.
9月21日为世界阿尔兹海默病日，该调查由中国阿尔茨海默病防治协会开展并于9月17日公布调查结果。
However, while over 78 percent of the surveyed participants said they are willing to seek diagnosis at medical institutions when they or their family members reported memory loss, only 12.9 percent ended up taking real action.
然而，尽管超过78%受访人员表示当自己或家人出现记忆力减退症状时愿意去医院就诊，仅有12.9%的人群采取了实际行动。
"The consultation rate is especially low among rural residents and those with lower academic degrees," said Xu Yong, a member of the association and a professor at the Medical College of Soochow University in Jiangsu province. "The finding shows that guiding people with initial symptoms to proactively seek professional diagnosis will be an important task."
“就诊比率在农村居民和低学历人群中尤为低下，”阿尔茨海默病防治协会理事、苏州大学医学院教授徐勇教授表示，“调查发现显示，引导有早期症状的人群主动就诊将会是一个重要的任务。”
Xiao Weizhong, head of the general medicine department at Peking University's Third Hospital, said that underlying the low consultation rate is insufficient awareness of the disease's harm and a lack of accessible diagnosis services.
北京大学第三医院全科医学科主任肖卫重表示低就诊率的根本原因是人们对于该疾病的危害意识不足以及缺少就诊途径。
Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia among older adults. Patients will gradually lose memory and thinking skills, and eventually become unable to perform simple tasks such as brushing their teeth or getting dressed.
阿尔茨海默病是老年人群里中常见的痴呆症，病人会丧失记忆和思考能力，最终会无法自理，比如刷牙和穿衣。
Qiao Liyan, head of the neurology department at Yuquan Hospital of Tsinghua University, said that establishing an accessible and comprehensive cognitive screening system involving hospitals, communities and families is vital.
清华大学玉泉医院神经科主任乔立艳表示建立老百姓可及的认知障碍筛查系统十分必要，要建立针对家庭-社区-医院的筛查系统。
While each family can fill in questionnaires as a screening tool, communities can adopt easy-to-use and more professional tests, such as a mini-mental state examination. "Hospitals should consider incorporating cognitive appraisals into health checkups, and strengthen efforts devoted to building memory disorder clinics," she said.
每家每户通过填写问卷进行筛查的同时，社区可以采取便捷专业的测试，比如小型精神状态测试。“医院应该考虑将认知评估纳入健康体检中，而且着力建设记忆疾病诊所。”
Wang Haidong, director of the National Health Commission's department of aging and health, said at a news briefing on Tuesday that the commission has rolled out a trial program in 15 provincial-level regions to provide early intervention for seniors with disabilities.
国家卫生健康委员会老龄健康司司长王海东在周二新闻发布会上表示卫健委已经在15个省级区域展开试点项目，为残障老年人提供早期干预措施。
