Common diseases for elderly: hypertension, diabetes, dental problems, Alzheimer's

Parents' health is key to maintain healthy family life especially for adult children. Korea Times file.

By Bahk Eun-ji

Parents' aging is an important issue as it affects all families. An overall decline in physical vitality can result in drastic changes to their health.

The Korea Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service, an organization affiliated with the Ministry of Health and Welfare, has released a study about ailments that afflict many people over the age of 50 and thus need special attention in order for them to maintain a healthy life.

According to the data, people in their 50s had 5.49 diseases on average last year, while people in their 60s had 6.69, and those in their 70s, 7.77.

The older they get, the higher their medical expenses: People in their 70s each spent 4.79 million won ($4,095) last year, followed by 2.59 million won for those in their 60s and 1.59 million won for the 50s.

The following are diseases which these people easily get and that the health ministry strongly recommends they prepare preventive measures for if possible, or pay attention to if they experience symptoms.

50s: Hypertension, diabetes, cataracts and arthritis

Hypertension and diabetes are typical chronic diseases that affect those in their 70s or older mostly, but rates for patients in their 50s are rising sharply.

The number of people in their 50s who were treated for hypertension was 1.73 million last year, 126.5 percent higher than those in their 40s. More than 808,000 people in their 50s received treatment for diabetes, 121.4 percent more than people in their 40s. Patients in their 50s paid 122,400 won per year on average for hypertension, and 226,900 won for diabetes treatments.

The number of people in their 50s treated for cataracts was nearly 210,000, 324.6 percent higher than that of people in their 40s. They paid an average of 550,273 won per person for treatment, and women were more prone to the disease than men.

Degenerative arthritis is the disease which people in their 70s mostly suffer, but the number of patients in their 50s was 590,602, 184.4 percent higher than those in their 40s, showing the greatest increase ratio between age groups.

60s: dental implant surgery

When people get older, the jaw and gum tissue get weaker and this puts many elderly people at the risk of losing teeth. People in their 60s getting implant surgery were 234.7 percent higher than those in their 50s.

The number is especially high among those between 65 and 69 years old ― at 265,830 last year ― because younger people are not covered by the state health insurance for implant surgery. Those patients in their 65 to 69 who received the surgery paid 1.18 million won on average annually.

70s: Alzheimer's disease, dentures

The number of Alzheimer's disease patients skyrockets when people turns 70s ― 471,929 in 2018 or 1,208.8 percent more than people in their 60s.

Alzheimer's disease also required the most in medical costs at 3.81 million won.

The cost for dentures is covered by the state health insurance for people over 65 years old, and most people getting fitted for dentures were in their 70s at 142,700 people in 2018, followed by 71,900 people over 65, and 61,990 in their 80s.