As Hong Kong's population is aging fast, Alzheimer’s disease prevention in Hong Kong is an ever more pressing healthcare necessity. An estimated 280,000 residents of the city will have dementia by 2036, with nearly 65% caused by Alzheimer's disease, according to the Hong Kong Council of Social Service. The intensifying epidemic has pushed researchers and businessmen to pursue new avenues for avoiding the disease before it takes hold.

In 2025, researchers at a leading Hong Kong university, in collaboration with Prof. Nick Wang, eefit founder and head of R&D, discovered that eefit's far-infrared (FIR) technology could inhibit two of the major pathological characteristics of Alzheimer's: beta-amyloid (Aβ) deposition and tau protein hyperphosphorylation. The outcome, in NeuroMolecular Medicine (Vol. 27, Article 34, 2025), is the first to show dual-pathology improvement with a non-medication treatment in a transgenic mouse model.

First Evidence of Dual-Pathology Improvement

Scientists conducted a 28-day irradiation with eefit far-infrared light (4–20 μm wavelength range) in a TgCRND8 transgenic mouse model. The outcomes were sensational:

·         Improved cognition: FIR-treated mice showed excellent cognition improvement in learning and memory, as evaluated using the Morris water maze test.

·         Reduced amyloid plaques: Treatment lowered Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio in the cortex and elevated Aβ clearance.

·         Reduced tau protein hyperphosphorylation: The technology inhibited abnormal tau accumulation at multiple sites, reducing neurofibrillary tangles.

·         Dual-pathway effect: FIR treatment both reduced pathogenic inflammation (reduced IL-1β and TNF-α, enhanced IL-4) and augmented antioxidant defense via the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway.

Previous treatments typically targeted Aβ plaques or tau tangles. Both are boosted simultaneously in this study, which could be a breakthrough for Alzheimer’s disease prevention in Hong Kong and globally.

Noninvasive and Promising for Early Intervention

The dean of the university's Faculty of Chinese Medicine stated, "Since it is a noninvasive treatment, far-infrared therapy has the potential to delay the progression of disease in patients with mild cognitive impairment, reducing the pressure on medical resources and helping families and caregivers."

This positions FIR technology not just as a scientific finding but also as a viable solution for a city like Hong Kong, where healthcare facilities are under pressure from a fast-growing ageing population.

From Laboratory to Real-World Applications

eefit has been laying the groundwork for industrializing its technology. The company established a global R&D ecosystem, having collaborated with Macau University of Science and Technology's State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, and then with Nobel laureate Dr. Erwin Neher's Biophysics Laboratory for Innovative Drug Discovery.

Their far-infrared research already has value for other uses, including stroke recovery, rheumatoid arthritis, gut health, and neuroinflammation. That diversity of applications strengthens the argument for FIR as a preventive health tool even further.

Community Impact and Brain Health Movement

Other than research, eefit has also demonstrated social responsibility. In 2024, the company launched the eBrain Movement, which offered brain health services to over 212,000 people in Hong Kong. The respondents had conditions such as headaches, tremor, tinnitus, and quality of sleep improve.

These public health initiatives take hand-in-hand with the city's needs. In promoting brain health in middle-aged and elderly populations, FIR technology is not only recognized as a treatment, but as part of a more extended Alzheimer's disease prevention in Hong Kong program.

Creating a Prevention + Maintenance + Adjustment System

Capitalizing on its technology, eefit came up with a whole body health management system specifically designed for seniors. These include:

·         Alzheimer prevention: Reduction of amyloid deposits and pathologic tau proteins.

·         Brain vitality care: Care for patients with stroke and neurological sub-health.

·         Relief of chronic pain: Relief from back, shoulder, and leg pain, and from arthritis symptoms.

·         Gut regulation: Restoration of intestinal microecology and increase of nutrient absorption.

A New Era for Hong Kong's Aging Society

While challenges continue to remain in translating lab breakthroughs into scalable health solutions, this study laid the foundation for a new trajectory. With Hong Kong poised to bear among the highest rates of dementia in Asia, an early embrace of noninvasive, science-driven therapies like FIR could be a game-changer.

The findings are not just a landmark in the neuroscience of science but also a hopeful step towards a better future. For patients, families, and caregivers, hope is new again with the prospect of delaying or preventing the disease. And for policymakers, they highlight the urgent need to invest in new strategies for Alzheimer's disease prevention in Hong Kong.