Work thoroughly on self-care and face lifestyle-related diseases

── Are you saying that most of the illnesses today are lifestyle-related diseases?
That’s right. Most of the causes of death are lifestyle-related diseases centered on cancer. Furthermore, the pathology is becoming more complicated, so one department or one doctor cannot handle it. Medical examinations often span multiple departments, which naturally increases medical costs. National medical expenses are rising and finally exceed 40 trillion yen. It is also a big problem that the ratio of national income spent on medical expenses exceeds 10%.
Diabetes, one of the lifestyle-related diseases, is a disease that causes complications such as myocardial infarction, cerebral infarction, and blindness due to retinopathy.
Approximately 300,000 people undergo dialysis, and each person’s medical expense is approximately 6 million yen annually. For example, Mr. A, Mr. B, and Mr. C have been diagnosed with diabetes. Let’s compare the lifetime medical expenses of these three people. As soon as Mr. A was diagnosed, he made an effort to improve his lifestyle, and his medical expenses were 8 million yen. Mr. B tried to improve his lifestyle but was frustrated many times, and complications appeared and his medical expenses became 14 million yen. At the age of 70, Mr. C became severely ill without doing anything and underwent dialysis, and his medical expenses for 10 years amounted to 70 million yen.

── It’s an amazing result.
Looking at this example alone, you can see how important it is to review your lifestyle.
If you are diagnosed with a lifestyle-related disease, you have to say that it is basically difficult to cure it. Taking medicine lowers blood pressure and blood sugar levels, so patients feel relieved. However, the fact is that the illness is not cured just because the symptoms are suppressed. If you continue to take medication for a long time, side effects will occur and the medication will gradually become less effective. Such risks and drug costs will only increase unless the lifestyle that causes the disease is changed.
As mentioned above, the cost of medical treatment is increasing as advanced medical care is required against the backdrop of a super-aging society, and the total medical cost, including drug costs, is steadily increasing. The best way to control this is to take regular self-care to prevent illness.