[Click! Health] "From Chest Pain to Cerebral Infarction"... 'Simbangsedong' Patients Increase by 36% in 4 Years

245,000 Patients Treated in 2020... 83% Are Seniors Aged 60 and Over

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] The number of patients with atrial fibrillation, a condition where the atria inside the heart fail to contract properly and quiver irregularly, potentially causing fatal complications such as cerebral infarction, is significantly increasing.

According to the National Health Insurance Service health insurance treatment data on the 7th, the number of patients who received health insurance treatment for 'atrial fibrillation (disease code I48)' increased by 35.5% over four years, from 180,954 in 2016 to 244,896 in 2020. Accordingly, the total medical expenses for atrial fibrillation patients surged by 89.3%, from 104.6 billion KRW to 198 billion KRW during the same period, with an average annual increase of 17.3%.

Looking at the number of patients by treatment type, the number of patients hospitalized for atrial fibrillation rose by 6.7% (1,530 patients), from 22,881 in 2016 to 24,411 in 2020, while outpatients increased by 36.8% (64,487 patients), from 175,112 to 239,609 during the same period.

Atrial fibrillation is a representative arrhythmia disease characterized by very rapid and irregular heartbeats occurring in the atria inside the heart. As of 2020, the largest age group among atrial fibrillation patients was those in their 70s, accounting for 32.8% (80,305 patients), followed by those in their 60s at 26.4% (64,681 patients), and those aged 80 and above at 23.6% (57,882 patients), with about 80% being 60 years or older.

Also, as of 2020, 60.3% of patients were male, and since 2016, the increase rate was higher in males (38.3%) than in females (31.1%).

Among the diseases accompanying patients treated for atrial fibrillation, hypertension was the most common at 25.3%, followed by heart failure at 11.9%, and hyperlipidemia at 9.9%. Additionally, in patients under 40 years old, arrhythmia or paroxysmal tachycardia were common, while in patients over 40, type 2 diabetes was frequently accompanied.

Patients with atrial fibrillation complain of symptoms such as palpitations, shortness of breath, chest tightness, fatigue, dizziness, decreased exercise capacity, and difficulty breathing. However, many patients are asymptomatic and are often diagnosed only after fatal complications such as cerebral infarction occur.

Causes of atrial fibrillation include various heart diseases such as hypertension, coronary artery disease, valvular disease, and heart failure, but risk factors such as family history, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, alcohol consumption, overweight, sleep apnea, and chronic lung disease are also known to be related.

Treatment methods include anticoagulant administration, electrical cardioversion, and atrial fibrillation ablation.

Professor Lee Han-cheol of the Cardiology Department at National Health Insurance Ilsan Hospital advised, "Atrial fibrillation is one of the most common arrhythmias and is related to degenerative changes due to aging, so the incidence increases with age. It is important to improve lifestyle habits such as regular exercise, dietary therapy, abstaining from alcohol and smoking to prevent cardiovascular diseases, and if there are accompanying heart diseases such as hypertension, myocardial infarction, or heart failure, they must be treated without fail."