Korea’s cardiovascular patients, treatment costs spike over 5 years

The number of patients treated for heart diseases caused by myocardial ischemia sharply grew in Korea over the past five years, significantly increasing medical expenses for their treatment, data showed.

The number of Koreans treated for heart diseases caused by myocardial ischemia grew sharply, significantly pushing up related medical costs over the past five years.

According to the National Health Insurance Service, the number of patients with ischemic heart disease totaled 942,000 in 2019, up 17.2 percent from five years ago. The treatment cost also rose to 1.65 trillion won ($1.44 billion), up 54.5 billion won, during the same period.

Patients in their 40s spent the largest amount of money to this end with the per capita treatment expense of 1.83 million won, raising awareness about cardiovascular diseases and better management of risk factors among relatively younger people, Bayer Korea said in a press release on the occasion of the World Heart Day on Monday.

Insufficient blood supply causes ischemic heart disease to the heart muscle due to narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart. The most typical symptoms include angina and myocardial infarction. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death globally and second in Korea. It has become an even more threatening factor recently as patients are more vulnerable to Covid-19 infections.

The company noted that the Covid-19 infection could directly cause damage to the heart and blood vessels while indirectly affecting overall cardiovascular health, including lack of physical activity, isolation, and stress on health.

Also, according to the American College of Cardiology (ACC), people with underlying cardiovascular diseases should modify their lifestyle as their immune system could collapse faster when infected with viruses like the Covid-19.

"People should quit smoking, limit drinking, have balanced meals, and continue with their regular exercise to prevent cardiovascular diseases," Professor Kim Kye-hun of the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at Chonnam National University Hospital said. "It is important to regularly measure blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels, and those with high-risk should take low-dose aspirin in consultation with their doctors to prevent a recurrence."

Low-dose aspirin has shown primary and secondary preventive effects against cardiovascular disease in high-risk patients with complex risk factors, including a family history of ischemic heart disease, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, obesity, and diabetes.

"Low-dose aspirin intake is known to reduce the risk of death, myocardial infarction, and stroke in patients with cardiovascular diseases," Professor Kim said. "If the patient discontinues or adjusts the dose of aspirin administration to prevent a recurrence, the patient could be more likely to have a cardiovascular event, so it is important to take the drug consistently according to doctor's consultation."