Women have a long senescence period… Daily lifestyle is important
According to data from the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, the age at which Koreans die the most (worst age of death) is 85 for men and 90 for women. Statistics Korea’s ‘life expectancy’ for Koreans is 80.5 years for men and 86.5 years for women. Statistics show that women live 5-6 years longer than men. However, the question is whether you live a long and healthy life. If you lie down for a long time because of pain, the meaning of longevity fades.
◆ Many women live to the age of 90… 25 years longer than 1970
The lowest age of death is the age with the highest mortality rate. The data of the Institute for Health and Social Affairs are the average of five years from 2015 to 2019. Many women live beyond the 85-year life expectancy and live to 90. The average life expectancy of the National Statistical Office is 83.5 years as of 2020. Life expectancy is the average number of years expected to live from birth. Until 1970, the life expectancy of Koreans was 58.7 years for men and 65.8 years for women, with an average of 62.3 years. It is calculated that after 50 years, women’s life expectancy has increased by 25 years.
◆ Do you live a long and healthy life? Longer senescence than men
Women are more likely than men to develop disabilities as they age and become weaker, a study has found. This is a study on the health status of 2,905 Korean elderly aged 70-84 years, followed by follow-up. As a result, when women become old, they are 14 times more likely to suffer from a disability that makes it difficult to move two years later than men (9.9 times). The probability of developing a disability that makes daily life difficult was 7.2 times for women and 3.2 times for men. This paper was published in the journal ‘Biomed Central-Geriatrics (BMC GERIATRICS)’.
◆ Causes of mobility problems… Dementia, Parkinson’s disease and stroke significantly increased
According to data from the National Health Insurance Corporation, the disease that caused the most medical expenses for those aged 65 and over was ‘Alzheimer’s dementia’, which cost 2.209.3 trillion won in medical expenses in 2021 alone. In 2021, the number of dementia patients will be 590,000, up 32.4% from 2017. The number and cost of treatment for Parkinson’s disease and stroke, which cause mobility difficulties along with dementia, are also increasing. In 2021, the total number of patients treated for three diseases was 1.13 million, an increase of 21.2% compared to 2017.
◆ Have a good menopause… Watershed in Women’s Health Why?
Menopause is a watershed for women’s health. Estrogen (female hormone), which previously protected blood, blood vessels, and bones, disappears, and changes in the body increase. High blood pressure, which was not present when young, occurs, which increases the risk of vascular diseases such as heart disease (angina-myocardial infarction) and stroke (cerebral infarction-cerebral hemorrhage). Until the age of 50, the number of men with high blood pressure is higher, but after the age of 60 or 70, the number of women with hypertension increases. Stroke (paralysis) is life-threatening and leaves major sequelae such as paralysis of one body. It is necessary to actively deal with vascular disease from middle age at the latest.
◆ The iron rule of healthy life… Food control + vigorous body movement
If you are middle-aged or older, it is important not only to eat vegetables and fruits, but also to eat protein foods such as meat, eggs, and beans to maintain muscle. It is better to eat lean meat without fat. Regular physical activity is also important. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), household chores such as cleaning and housekeeping are also good physical activities. It is better for your health to constantly move your body than to sit still after working out for an hour. Even if 90-100 year olds have not exercised in their entire life, most of them are diligent and have a lot of physical activity. Although it cannot be generalized to everyone, it is a good reference.