Singapore Healthcare Dementia Care

Singapore is also classified as a “aged society” and is on the trajectory to attain “super-aged” status in 2026.  By 2030, one in four will be aged 65 and older and with this, the prevalence of dementia is set to rise. The World Health Organization also projected that the global cost of dementia is set to increase to $1.7 trillion by 2030, with up to 139 million suffering from it by 2050 as the population grows older. 

With its average life expectancy at 80.7 years for men and 85.2 years for women, Singapore has embarked on a pivotal 5-year study, in the more-than-100-year history of dementia studies worldwide, to investigate “Asian Dementia” because of the biological factors unique to the Asian brain that increases the disease prevalence. This research is conducted entirely on Southeast Asians to draw up a more accurate picture of the unique biological factors of the Asian brain that causes dementia.  The research so far has shown that Asians patients are three times more likely than Caucasians to suffer from silent strokes as a result of a condition of the narrowing of the small blood vessels which appear as lesions. The research also shows that 80% of patients at dementia clinics in Asia have these white matter lesions which are an early sign of increased risk of dementia.  This small vessel disease results in more brain shrinkage amongst patients.  

To date, another key observation is that in the Asian context, dementia affects planning ability and executive function, unlike in the West, where dementia is usually linked to memory loss.  For Singapore, and the larger Asian population, this is concerning as it affects a person’s ability to make appropriate judgement calls, also known as the “executive function”. This study is pivotal in that the results differ from all western studies that have been done so far.  

While there is no cure for dementia, early detection, close monitoring, and improved overall health can help in reducing the risk of suffering from neurodegenerative diseases. This research creates more opportunities and allows industry and healthcare professionals to intervene early and craft care plans for those with some form of early-stage cognitive impairment.  

U.S. firms that offer products and services for early detection and diagnosis, promote a “brain-healthy” lifestyle, novel approaches to combating dementia may find Singapore an attractive market to explore and a testbed for the wider Asian region. 

Exporters that offer nutritional supplements that contain phospholipids and phytonutrients for brain nutrition, multi-vitamins, brain stimulating programs and products, tech-wearables and assisted-living models, innovative digital solutions, functional and health foods may contact Commercial Specialist, Luanne Theseira, for a consultation on market opportunities in Singapore and the wider Southeast Asian region.