Cataracts led hospitalizations for elderly diseases last year; Alzheimer's highest healthcare cost

Cataracts led to the highest number of hospitalizations among elderly diseases last year, with 352,705 patients admitted for the condition. This represents a 4.6% increase from the previous year's figure of 337,270. The healthcare costs covered by national health insurance for cataract inpatient treatment amounted to 613.96 billion won.

Alzheimer's disease, a common ailment associated with aging, incurred the most significant healthcare expenses, costing 1.93124 trillion won for inpatient treatment. The number of inpatients treated for Alzheimer's was 132,449, a 1.9% rise from 129,974 in the prior year. The disease climbed one spot to rank ninth in terms of inpatient causes in 2025, up from tenth in 2024.

In terms of outpatient visits, gingivitis and periodontal disease affected the largest number of patients, with 19,972,412 individuals seeking treatment. These conditions also generated the highest outpatient healthcare costs, reaching 2.62142 trillion won. Other common reasons for outpatient visits included acute bronchitis, essential hypertension, and vasomotor and allergic rhinitis.