The rise in the proportion of the elderly population in Korea is quite threatening. As of last year, the proportion of the elderly population in Korea is 15.7%, and it is expected to reach 46.5% by 2067, which means that half of the total population will be elderly.
Life expectancy in Korea continued to increase due to the improvement of income level and the development of medical technology. As of 2018, the life expectancy in Korea was 82.7 years old. The healthy life expectancy excluding the period of illness or illness due to illness or injury from the life expectancy was only 70.4 years old in 2018. Since I have been sick for more than 10 years, the social costs I have to pay for this are also insignificant.
The medical community has repeatedly raised opinions that fundus tests and prostate cancer tests should be included as mandatory items in the national screening items for the steep aging of the Korean population and prolonging health life.
It is an opinion to improve the quality of life of the elderly while reducing social costs by improving the treatment effect by early detection of senile macular degeneration that causes blindness by conducting regular fundus examinations for the elderly over 65 years of age.
“The main cause of senile macular degeneration, which is one of the leading diseases that cause blindness in Korea, where the population is rapidly aging, is aging.” “The number of elderly macular degeneration patients is on a rapid increase, with an increase of 63%.”
He also emphasized that “one out of seven people 65 years of age or older is diagnosed with senile macular degeneration, so it is helpful to add a fundus test to the national free examination item to help prevent blindness in the elderly.”
The retina of the eye corresponds to a film in the form of a camera, and the center of it is called the macula. All focus is on the macula. As if the film is marked with a mark, the image cannot be formed correctly.
This disease occurs naturally as we age, and it is said that the cause is mainly caused by ultraviolet rays exposed by frequent sunlight. As an initial symptom, things suddenly appear distorted and your vision drops sharply. At first, it’s common to think it’s presbyopia and neglect it, and then go to an ophthalmologist and get a diagnosis of senile macular degeneration.
Early detection and early treatment are important for macular degeneration. Elderly people over 65 years of age are almost the only precautionary measure to check for retinal abnormalities through regular ophthalmic examinations every year. Missing the treatment period will inevitably increase the burden of social expenses such as an increase in national medical expenses as well as enormous inconveniences for individuals.
“For Korea, which is entering an ultra-aging society, it is imperative to establish a national eye health care policy in order to reduce the burden of social costs and improve the quality of life for the elderly.” He stressed that the government’s health authorities should listen to the Ophthalmology Association’s claim that it should be included as a test item.”
Meanwhile, opinions continue to be raised that prostate cancer, which threatens the health of elderly males, requires free national examinations for early detection and treatment.
Prostate cancer threatens the health of middle-aged and older men enough to receive an individual examination at least once for men in their 50s or older. As of 2017, the incidence of prostate cancer in Korea is 5.5%, making it the 7th among all cancers and the 4th among male cancers (10.5%). The prevalence of prostate cancer in Korea also increased by 8.5% per year from 3.2 per 100,000 in 1999 to 12.9 in 2017.
Despite the high prevalence rate, Daedong Hospital was excluded from the national free cancer screening program like cervical cancer and breast cancer in women because of the general perception that prostate cancer progresses slowly in its early stages and takes at least several months before systemic symptoms appear. Analyzed as. If prostate cancer is detected early, more than 90% can be cured, but when the problem metastasizes, it becomes fatal.
According to a European study, the 5-year survival rate for patients with prostate cancer metastasis to bone is only 3%. A bigger problem is that’metastatic prostate cancer’, which has a high cure rate, can be turned into’metastatic prostate cancer’. 86% of patients with metastatic prostate cancer are said to be non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. It is also the reason for the need for early diagnosis of prostate cancer, and the persistent request from related academic circles to include it in the national cancer screening project is based on this reason.
Prostate Cancer Center Director Kim Jae-sik of Ongene Hospital pointed out that “prostate cancer is a cancer that is commonly found in men of the middle-aged and older, but it is also missing from the national screening items.” ) Since screening is not included, male cancer is relatively marginalized from government policy projects.” He argued that prostate cancer screening must be included in the national cancer screening project.