Kim Seon-hwa, a 59-year-old housewife, lost her mother to dementia three years ago. While she currently has no signs of the brain disease, Kim recently visited her doctor to find out if there are any options available for an early diagnosis.

“Dementia is a terrible disease,” Kim said. “After losing my own mother to the very disease, I wanted to be proactive and minimize my risks as much as possible before it is too late.”

Her doctor suggested Kim get a FDG-PET scan, a medical imaging technique that produces a 3-D image functional process in the body. The test, which uses a small close of a radioactive drug to show differences between healthy and diseased tissue, is used to make a diagnosis for dementia management or prognosis.

According to the National Evidence-based Healthcare Collaborating Agency, the test has a 79 percent chance of correctly identifying those with dementia, and a 60 percent chance of correctly identifying those without the disease. The test, however, is expensive and currently not covered by the national health insurance program. The cost of a single scan ranges from 600,000 won ($550) to 1.2 million won. 

While Kim is still willing to undergo the scan, most Koreans ― 68.8 percent ― are reluctant to receive the test mostly because of its cost, according to the latest study by the NECA. Meanwhile, the number of dementia patients increased by 12.8 percent from 2013 to 2014, from 38,217 to 43,974. The cost to treat the patients increased by 18.8 percent in the same time period.

Last year, Koreans spent 1.17 trillion won to treat the brain disease, while about one-third of total medical cost ― 19.4 trillion won ― was spent on treating the elderly who already account for 11.9 percent of the total Korean population.

While the elderly population is rapidly increasing, dementia is considered one of the most serious threats to the country’s future economy. Health authorities predict the number of people with the disease will exceed the number of those who are aged 65 or older by 2024, and that it will cost some 43.5 trillion won to treat by 2030.

Experts say early diagnosis is important as it allows a person to get the maximum benefit from available treatments and provides an opportunity for clinical trials or studies. “Those who are aged 60 or older, and those who have close family members who have suffered dementia are encouraged to take the FDG-PET scan,” said Seo Seong-woo from the NECA.

“From our research, 60.6 percent of the surveyed individuals said they are willing to participate in clinical trials and 88.3 percent said they would start receiving any available treatments immediately once they are diagnosed with the disease.”

The government has been making a number of efforts to prevent the disease, including banning on-campus drinking and introducing workout programs for the elderly. According to the Health Ministry, a heavy drinker is 7.42 times more likely than a person who does not drink to develop dementia. Also, physical inactivity is considered one of the major risk factors for dementia, as indicated by more than 80 percent of the elderly spending their leisure time watching TV.

For Kim, spending 1 million won for her FDG-PET scan is worth it not only for herself, but also for her children. “I spent 1.2 million won a month for the last two years of my mother’s life, as she was staying at a residential medical facility for the elderly,” she said. “I believe doing everything that I can to prevent or delay the process of the disease would save more money in the end. It’ll be less of a burden ― both financially and emotionally ― for my children as well.”

By Claire Lee (dyc@heraldcorp.com)