[Click! Health] On 'Couple's Day,' Couples Check for Chronic Diseases Together

Couple's Day

The 21st is designated as "Couple's Day" to remind couples of the importance of their relationship and to promote harmonious families. On this Couple's Day, we checked whether couples have chronic diseases such as diabetes, stroke, and hypertension, and learned about prevention methods with the help of Professor Lee Jeong-ah from the Department of Family Medicine at Seoul Asan Medical Center.

Diabetes is known to be a common disease, affecting about 1 in 6 adults over the age of 30. However, if asymptomatic diabetes is left untreated for a long time, irreversible complications may occur. The rapid increase in diabetes is due to multifaceted changes in lifestyle, such as westernized eating habits, obesity caused by lack of exercise, and stress. What is more serious is that 3 out of 10 people do not know that they have diabetes because of their busy daily lives. It is good to get tested when symptoms appear, but most people have no symptoms in the early stages of diabetes.

Risk factors for diabetes include being overweight, lack of exercise, family history of diabetes, previous blood tests showing elevated blood sugar, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. Generally, adults over 40 or those with at least one risk factor for diabetes should get tested for diabetes. For effective diabetes management, it is important to minimize intake of simple sugars, exercise regularly, and if taking medication, never skip a dose. Recently developed diabetes medications not only lower blood sugar but also reduce weight, protect kidney function, and decrease the incidence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

Stroke is the second leading cause of death worldwide and is a highly risky disease. After experiencing a stroke, many suffer from sequelae such as physical paralysis and speech impairment, which significantly reduce quality of life. Stroke incidence increases after age 55, but young people should not be complacent. This is because atherosclerosis, the main cause of stroke, begins to be detected as early as in the 30s and 40s. Atherosclerosis progresses slowly over a long period. Although stroke symptoms appear suddenly, they are actually the result of worsening underlying conditions that have developed over years or decades.

To prevent stroke, couples should support each other in quitting smoking and limiting alcohol, exercise consistently, and maintain a vascular-healthy diet (not salty, not sweet, not greasy). If chronic diseases exist, prescribed medications such as antihypertensives, diabetes drugs, and lipid-lowering agents should be taken daily. Low-dose aspirin used for thrombosis prevention should only be taken after consulting a physician due to bleeding side effects. Professor Lee Jeong-ah advises, “Knowing the dangers of diseases and making efforts to prevent them in advance is a wise way of life. Couples can prevent stroke simply by changing one small habit together.”

Hypertension is the most frequently occurring cardiovascular disease. It is estimated that about 30% of the adult population in Korea has hypertension. If left untreated, it can lead to serious complications such as angina, myocardial infarction, heart failure, atherosclerosis, and stroke, so treatment is essential. It is important to fully understand the seriousness of hypertension and to consistently manage blood pressure by following medical advice, taking medication, and adhering to a low-sodium diet. Recent antihypertensive drugs not only lower blood pressure but also help prevent diabetes onset and improve kidney and heart function, with fewer side effects. Since these medications can be taken lifelong without much difficulty, patients can consider drug therapy after consulting with specialists when necessary.