Over 60% of Shingles Cases Are in People Over 50... "Easily Contracted When Immunity Drops"

Shingles

Patients with herpes zoster, which causes skin lesions and pain, are found to be predominantly over 50 years old, accounting for more than 60% across all age groups.

According to the ‘Herpes Zoster’ disease health insurance treatment status announced by the National Health Insurance Service on the 20th, the number of patients increased by 2.4% over four years, from 705,661 in 2017 to 722,257 in 2021. During this period, the average annual growth rate was 0.6%. Herpes zoster is a disease caused by the virus that originally caused chickenpox in childhood, which remains dormant in the nerves for a long time and reactivates when the body's resistance decreases, causing pain, abnormal sensations, rash, and blisters.

As of 2021, the largest proportion of herpes zoster patients were in their 60s, accounting for 23.8% (172,144 people). This was followed by those in their 50s at 22.4% (161,518 people), 40s at 15.9% (114,682 people), 70s (12.6%), 30s (11.0%), and 20s and 80 years and older (6.0%) in that order. Although in some years between 2017 and 2019, the 50s age group had more cases than the 60s, these two age groups consistently rank first or second.

When adjusted for the number of patients per 100,000 population, the data confirms that the number of herpes zoster patients increases with age. Based on 2021 data, the number of patients per 100,000 people was 308 for teenagers, 633 for those in their 20s, 1,139 for 30s, 1,392 for 40s, 1,876 for 50s, 2,465 for 60s, 2,601 for 70s, and 2,258 for those in their 80s. This highlights why elderly patients, who are more vulnerable to weakened immunity, must be especially cautious to avoid herpes zoster.

Many studies report that women are more likely to develop herpes zoster than men. Similarly, in 2021, males accounted for 39.0% (281,858 people) and females 61% (440,399 people) of the patients. However, the specific reasons behind this statistical difference remain unclear.

The per-patient medical cost for herpes zoster has been gradually increasing. It rose by 9.4%, from 210,000 KRW in 2017 to 230,000 KRW in 2021. Patients aged 80 and above incurred the highest medical costs at 381,000 KRW. The total medical expenses, including all age groups, increased by 11.9% over four years, reaching 166.1 billion KRW.

Skin lesions caused by herpes zoster typically recover within 2 to 3 weeks with medication. However, if postherpetic neuralgia develops, treatment becomes difficult and can interfere with daily life. Professor Kang Yeonseung of the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at National Health Insurance Ilsan Hospital stated, “It is very important to actively treat acute pain and to perform both medication and nerve block therapy to prevent progression to chronic pain.” He added, “The earlier pain treatment begins, the more effective it is.” If herpes zoster is left untreated, inflammation during the acute phase can cause abnormalities in the pain transmission system, increasing the likelihood of progression to chronic pain.

Regarding prevention of herpes zoster, Professor Kang advised, “It is important to boost immunity through regular exercise and healthy lifestyle habits. Since extreme stress, physical decline, overwork, and chronic fatigue are contributing factors, efforts should be made to avoid these.” He also noted, “In some cases, the herpes zoster vaccine can be helpful.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.