Heatstroke has claimed 58 lives in South Korea over the past five years, government data showed Thursday.Those in their 70s accounted for the largest share with 18, followed by 11 each for people in their 50s and 80s and six in their 60s, according to the data by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Yonhap)The number of heatstroke patients, meanwhile, reached 5,910 from 2012 onwards.Most of the patients reported getting sick in August (3,029) and July (2,231).Those in their 50s

Red ginseng helps reduce fatigue in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, a local report showed Thursday.The report based on a survey on 438 colorectal cancer patients by professor Kim Yeol-hong of Korea University Medical Center in Seoul revealed the group of 219 patients who took 1 gram of red ginseng every day for 16 weeks registered 81.07 on the overall Brief Fatigue Inventory index. An image of red ginseng (Yonhap)The comparable figure for another group of 219 patients who took a placebo

A third of South Korean people are obese, causing Asia's fourth-largest economy to shoulder nearly 7 trillion won ($6.12 billion) in social costs every year, the government said Wednesday.Also, some 25 percent of boys aged between 5 and 14 in South Korea suffer from obesity, compared with an average 23 percent for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development member countries, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. (123RF)The percentage marked the highest n

More than 100 medical doctors and vaccine experts from all over the world gathered in Seoul on Wednesday to examine ways to improve vaccine management, and called for concerted efforts on extend benefits of immunization around the world.The international forum, the first of its kind, is co-hosted by the World Health Organization and the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and brought together leading experts from academia, private sector institutions, public health officials and civ

Consumption of kimchi does not raise blood pressure despite its high salt content as the lactic acid bacteria in the fermented dish actually helps drive sodium out of the body, a survey showed Wednesday.Kimchi is a traditional Korean side dish made of fermented napa cabbage, salt and pepper. An image of kimchi (Yonhap)The survey of 5,932 people by professor Song Hong-ji of Hallym University Medical Center between 2001 and 2012 revealed that 374 people, or 29.8 percent, of 1,254 people who consum

Ramyeon instant noodles raises blood sugar, blood pressure and the chance of artery hardening and heart attack due to its high fat, sodium, sugar and carbohydrate content, the latest findings showed Monday.Those who regularly eat ramyeon three or more times a week are 2.6 times more susceptible to cardiovascular metabolic disease than those who have the instant noodles once or less frequently per month, a screening of 3,397 college students by professor Chang Nam-soo of Ewha Womans University an

The number of endometriosis patients rose sharply in recent years due to late marriage and childbirths, stress and irregular lifestyles, with most of those affected in their 30s and 40s, data showed Tuesday.The number of those who were diagnosed as endometriosis patients by CHA Gangnam Medical Center in southern Seoul rose to 15,968 in 2016 from 3,184 in 2009, according to the hospital records. An undated file photo of an endometriosis patient surgery at a Seoul hospital. (Yonhap)Out of the 2017

The number of South Korean skin cancer patients has spiked nearly 40 percent over the past four years, flirting with the 20,000 mark, apparently due to increased sunlight exposure, data showed Tuesday.Skin cancer patients in the country numbered 19,435 at the end of last year, up 38 percent from four years earlier, according to the data from the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service.People in their 70s accounted for the largest portion of the total at 28 percent, trailed by sexagenarians

The number of atopic dermatitis patients in South Korea tends to peak in May partly due to fine and yellow dust, a state-run health agency said Tuesday.According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of people who visited hospital for atopic eczema was the highest in May as of 2015, at about 150,000 patients. The figure is 27 percent higher than November, the month with the fewest atopic patients. (123RF)Various factors such as dry weather, pollen, fine dust and yello

The number of South Koreans with high blood pressure topped the 7.5 million mark last year, data showed Tuesday, According to the data by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, a total of 7.52 million people either visited hospitals for hypertension or received medical aid for the condition in 2016, up 6.4 percent from 7.07 million tallied in 2014. (Yonhap)Hypertension is diagnosed when blood pressure is persistently at or above the maximum 140 and minimum 90 millimeters of mercury

The prevalence of ovarian cancer among South Korean women in their 20s has jumped nearly 50 percent over the past five years due to a change in their life patterns, data showed Sunday.According to the data by the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service, 20-something ovarian cancer patients stood at 1,218 last year, up a whopping 48 percent from 825 in 2012. (Yonhap)Last year's figure accounted for 6.7 percent of all ovarian cancer patients in the country, but the increase rate outpaced that

Not only being overweight but also being underweight causes depression for both men and women, a finding that highlights the importance of maintaining the right weight for psychological health, a study said Wednesday.Published in the recent issue of the British Journal of Psychiatry, the study showed that the risk of depression is 16 percent higher for people underweight than for those in the norm range. The risk was 21 percent for men, much higher than 12 percent among women.Obesity also brough

South Korean medical services have advanced into 20 countries as of 2016, government data showed Wednesday, as local medical technology is widely expanding its contributions and presence in the global market. (123RF)According to the data by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, local medical services were found in 20 countries, including China and the United States, as of the end of last year, up from 17 tallied a year earlier.The ministry attributed the increase to the huge popularity of not only

South Korea's health ministry signed an agreement with a Seoul-based vaccine research institute Monday to expand cooperation in joint research efforts and to foster experts, officials said.The memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the International Vaccine Institute calls for comprehensive cooperation in research and development to make safe and effective vaccines for people in developing countries. (123RF)"The ministry believes the MOU will provide growth f

Hot flashes, a well-known symptom of menopause, can even occur among women and men in their 20s and 30s, data showed Friday, indicating that the condition can be triggered by a variety of factors, including stress.According to the data by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of people who visited hospitals for the condition steadily increased from 5,190 in 2014 and 5,475 in 2015 to 5,719 in 2016.(Yonhap)In 2016, 4,289 women and 1,430 men received treatment for the condi