• Yoon Jung Choi, Sanghyun Kim, Young Jae Hwang, and Changsoo Kim.
• Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service, Wonju, Korea.
• Yonsei Med. J. 2021 Oct 1; 62 (10): 948-953.

PurposeDementia is an important health issue in Korea due to its associated medical costs. Our study aimed to estimate the prevalence of dementia in Korea by analyzing hospital utilization rates.Materials And MethodsWe examined National Health Insurance data from 2008 to 2016 and identified all dementia cases. Crude and ageand sex-standardized prevalence were calculated. A generalized linear mixed model was used to estimate prevalence ratios.ResultsWe identified 176746 and 530269 dementia cases in 2008 and 2016, respectively. Alzheimer's disease was the most common dementia subtype (65.4% and 86.1% in 2008 and 2016, respectively). Across all age groups, the prevalence of dementia increased consistently: the increase was prominent among patients ≥85 years of age. Among patients ≥65 years of age, crude prevalence was estimated at 31.3 and 72.2 per 1000 population in 2008 and 2016, respectively. Age- and sex-standardized prevalence increased from 31.3 to 62.0 per 1000 population between 2008 and 2016, respectively. The prevalence ratio for dementia in 2016 was 2.02 times (95% confidence interval, 2.01-2.03) higher than that in 2008. When adjusted for age, dementia was more prevalent among females. The most common comorbidity was hypertension, followed by diabetes and stroke.ConclusionOur results demonstrated that hospital utilization for dementia increased significantly from 2008 to 2016, reflecting a proportional increase in the prevalence of dementia. Korean healthcare policy must prioritize dementia treatment.© Copyright: Yonsei University College of Medicine 2021.

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