The number of senile dementia patients has nearly tripled over the past five years.

According to the National Health Insurance Corporation, the number of people who received medical treatment for dementia jumped from 48-thousand in 2002 to 135-thousand last year.

Accordingly, the amount of money spent on dementia treatment increased nearly six times during the same period to almost 320 million U.S. dollars.

The rise is attributable to the nation’s rapid transformation into an aging society and the development of medical technologies to diagnose the disease early.

Some 15 percent of dementia patients can be completely cured, since the causes of the disease have been determined.

Experts stress the need for detecting the disease as quickly as possible, as early treatment can considerably improve the condition of patients and even slow down the development of Alzheimer’s disease.