Heart Disease Patients Increased by 20% in 5 Years... 40% Surge Among People in Their 20s

Last year, the number of patients treated for heart disease reached 1.83 million, marking a staggering 20% increase compared to five years ago. Notably, there was a sharp rise in patients even among those in their 20s and 30s, who were relatively considered a safe zone for heart disease.

Myocardial infarction image
[Photo by Gangnam Bedro Hospital]

On the 7th, the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service (HIRA) announced the analysis results of heart disease treatment trends over the past five years (2018?2022). This included ischemic heart disease, myocardial infarction, angina, arrhythmia, and others. As a result, the number of patients last year was 1,833,320, a 19.9% increase from 2018. This corresponds to an average annual growth rate of 4.6%. Medical expenses amounted to 2.5391 trillion KRW, showing a 38.5% increase compared to 2018.

Looking at the data by age group, the proportion of patients increased across all ages, with a particularly significant rise among those under 30. The number of patients in their teens was 13,153, and those in their 20s numbered 30,215, representing increases of 40.5% and 40.9%, respectively, compared to 2018. Patients in their 30s also rose by 27.3% to 48,458 compared to 2018. However, the elderly still accounted for the majority of patients overall. Those aged 80 and above numbered 349,035, accounting for 15.5%, and those in their 70s were 517,731, representing 13.53%.

By gender, the increase in male patients was particularly notable. Last year, the number of male patients reached 1,054,345, surpassing 1 million for the first time in 2021 when it was 1.01 million, marking a 23.2% increase from 2018. Female patients numbered 778,975, showing a 15.6% increase over five years.

Among the diseases, ischemic heart disease accounted for the largest share at 56.1% of all patients. Ischemic heart disease refers to heart conditions that cause blood supply obstruction, including angina and myocardial infarction. As of last year, the number of patients was 1,027,842, a 12.9% increase from five years ago. This increase was also prominent among younger patients under 30. The number of patients in their teens was 1,161, and those in their 20s numbered 5,344, representing increases of 26.0% and 24.6%, respectively, compared to five years ago. By gender, males numbered 557,146, about 200,000 more than females (352,976).

Among specific diseases, angina patients were the most numerous at 705,259, followed by chronic ischemic heart disease at 250,225. The number of patients undergoing surgeries such as percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) also increased. Patients who received PCI last year numbered 56,497, a 3.8% increase from five years ago, and CABG patients numbered 2,337, an 8.1% increase.

Ha Guja, Director of the Benefit Information Analysis Office at HIRA, stated, “Looking at the treatment records over the past five years, most heart disease patients are aged 50 and above, but the proportion of patients in their teens and 20s is increasing the most.” He added, “Heart disease is the second leading cause of death in South Korea, with ischemic heart disease causing high mortality rates among those in their 40s to 60s, and other heart diseases causing high mortality rates among those in their teens, 20s, and over 70.” He continued, "To prevent these diseases, it is important to maintain regular exercise, dietary management, and consistent health care, as well as to undergo regular check-ups. If abnormalities are detected, receiving treatment based on expert medical judgment is crucial."

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