October 1st each year marks the International Day of Older Persons, a United Nations-designated day for recognizing older people. This year’s theme advocates for healthy and inclusive aging, a topic that deeply resonates with the research and work of BGI Group.
The world is undergoing a profound demographic shift as baby boomers age. Since 1980, people aged 65 and above has nearly tripled, reaching 761 million in 2021. And as those people continue to age, the number of persons aged 80 years or older is expected to triple between 2020 and 2050 to reach 426 million.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that by 2030, one in six people worldwide will be 60 years or older, however, increased longevity does not automatically equate to healthy aging. Ensuring that added years are met with an equal measure of quality of life has become a critical global imperative.
Aging has become a global phenomenon and getting increasingly serious. Concern for the physical and mental health of the elderly has also become a focus of attention for countries and organizations around the world. (Credit: Studio Romantic）
Global Strategies and Initiatives
To address this global challenge, governments and international organizations are actively deploying strategies. The WHO has launched the "Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021-2030)" global initiative, aimed at coordinating efforts across various sectors.
In Italy, where nearly a quarter of the population is 65 or older, making it the fourth oldest society globally, the Head of the Department for Family Policies, Ilaria Antonini, has called it "one of the most pressing issues of our time." In response, ten Italian regions have enacted specific laws to promote "active ageing," as defined by the WHO, striving to create opportunities for health, participation, and security for older adults.
Other nations globally from China to Chile are prioritizing the health of their populations as they age and developing specific programmes to address diseases that develop during a lifetime.
While broad strategies are essential, specific health threats require targeted action. Gene technology and research have a dual role to play. On the one hand it is helping to improve life expectancy, while concurrently providing new ways of identifying critical diseases, offering new hope for enabling a longer and healthier life for older persons.
Among the numerous health threats facing older adults, colorectal cancer (bowel cancer) and brain-related diseases such as Alzheimer's and dementia stand out, with their incidence rates increasing significantly with age, posing serious challenges to global public health systems.
Colorectal Cancer: A Preventable Yet Deadly Threat
Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide and the third most common cancer overall. The risk increases with age, with over two-thirds of cases occurring in individuals aged 65 and older. In 2022, there were 1.9 million new cases globally, with China, the United States, and Japan reporting the highest incidence rates.
In September, on the 26th anniversary of BGI Group's founding, CEO Dr. Yin Ye pointed to colorectal cancer as an example of how gene technology is helping to extend human healthy lifespans. As he noted: "There are no tumors that appear suddenly, only cancers that are discovered suddenly." He believes that "as long as it can be detected and treated at the in-situ carcinoma stage, it is not so scary."
Early screening is recognized as the most effective response to this threat. For example, the Australian government has launched the "National Bowel Cancer Screening Program," providing free at-home testing kits to citizens aged 45 to 74. The program emphasizes that bowel cancer often has no symptoms in its early stages, but screening can detect traces of blood in the stool that are not visible to the naked eye, enabling early diagnosis and treatment. When detected early, over 90% of bowel cancers can be successfully treated.
In the prevention and control of colorectal cancer, BGI’s COLOTECT® Colorectal Cancer Detection Kit has been successfully approved for inclusion in the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) register. This test, based on DNA methylation technology, enables convenient at-home, non-invasive sampling and can detect early signs of cancerous changes more accurately and sensitively than traditional fecal occult blood tests.
Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia: An Increasingly Heavy Global Burden
Alzheimer's disease is another age-related illness of great concern.It's estimated that up to 416 million people worldwide are in the Alzheimer's disease process, including 316 million in the preclinical stages. Age is the most significant known risk factor. Approximately 1 in 14 people over the age of 65 have the disease, and this proportion rises to 1 in 6 for those over 80.
As the most common type of dementia (accounting for 60%-80% of cases), Alzheimer's disease is currently incurable, and research into treatments targeting its core pathological proteins has yielded limited results. Therefore, early diagnosis and intervention are considered crucial for effectively managing the disease's progression. Countries are taking action: the U.S. "Healthy Brain Initiative" provides a roadmap for public health agencies to promote brain health and early detection; Sweden has established standardized care pathways, integrating health and social services; and Germany supports a large network of "Local Dementia Alliances," providing training for family members and volunteers.
BGI offers innovative blood biomarker and genetic risk testing, designed to provide earlier insights into an individual's risk of developing Alzheimer’s. This gives people valuable intervention time before symptoms appear, allowing them to proactively maintain their brain health through consulting with doctors and improving their lifestyles.
Meanwhile, groundbreaking gene research by BGI-Research is helping to unlock the mysteries of how diseases in the brain develop. With this knowledge scientists stand a better chance of tackling some of the biggest diseases connected to aging.
BGI firmly believes that by making precision technology accessible and easy to use, then elderly people around the world can achieve longer, healthier lives, putting care into practice.
We wish everyone long, healthy and happy aging on this International Day of Older Persons.