Get Ready for Retirement—Don’t Let Critical Illness Ruin It

Many people think that planning for retirement at around 35 years old seems too early. In reality, it’s not as far off as it seems. Preparing early, both financially and health-wise, ensures a stable life after retirement. As we age, debts and expenses increase, while our willingness to take risks may decline. Most importantly, health is the foundation of life. If you start taking care of it too late, the risks grow. That’s why maintaining good health alongside financial security is crucial if you don’t want to face unexpected health crises in retirement.

Diabetes: Cut down on sugar if you can

The name of this disease might not sound too threatening, but if diabetes strikes in retirement, your dreams, happiness, and savings could all be disrupted. Diabetes is a condition where the body fails to convert blood sugar into energy, causing high blood sugar levels and leading to complications such as heart disease, stroke, and peripheral artery disease. Symptoms of diabetes include:

• Frequent urination, excessive thirst, or fatigue
• Increased appetite despite weight loss
• Complications such as diabetic eye disease, kidney failure, and chronic foot ulcers
• May lead to high blood sugar-induced acidosis, drowsiness, and heavy breathing.

Prevention

Preventing diabetes starts with simple lifestyle changes: avoid excessive sugar intake, cut down on high-sugar foods like sweet drinks and soft drinks, reduce rice and starchy foods, opt for brown rice or whole grains, eat plenty of vegetables and fruits, and exercise regularly.

🔖 Chulabhorn Hospital

🔖 THPF (Data as of 17/11/15)

Heart attack: The older you get, the higher the risk

As you age, your risk of a heart attack increases. A heart attack occurs when coronary arteries become blocked, preventing blood and oxygen from reaching the heart. This damages heart muscle tissue and can lead to tissue death. Risk factors include high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Smoking and genetics also play a key role. If your parents have a history of diabetes or heart disease, your risk is higher. Early symptoms include:

• Chest tightness
• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue
• Dizziness
• Cold sweats

Prevention

As mentioned, the older you get, the higher your heart attack risk is. Start caring for your health early by eating nutritious foods, quitting smoking, maintaining normal blood pressure, managing your weight, and regularly checking your heart health (especially if you have risk factors) to reduce your chances of developing heart disease.

🔖 Chulabhorn Hospital

🔖 Pobpad

High blood pressure: A silent but dangerous threat

High blood pressure is not a contagious disease, but it must be carefully prevented to avoid life-threatening complications such as heart disease, stroke, and end-stage kidney failure. High blood pressure is classified into two types based on its cause. The first type is primary hypertension, which occurs without a known cause and is commonly found in individuals aged 60 and older. The second type is secondary hypertension, which results from pre-existing conditions such as adrenal gland tumors or chronic kidney failure. Symptoms of high blood pressure include:

• Chest pain
• Headache, dizziness, or blurred vision
• Nosebleeds
• Fatigue
• Irregular heartbeat

Prevention

High blood pressure is known as a silent killer because mild to moderate cases often show no symptoms. To reduce your risk, get enough rest, exercise regularly, avoid excessive salt intake, manage your weight, and have regular health check-ups.

🔖 Thairath (Data as of 08/01/22)

🔖 Department of Medical Sciences, Ministry of Public Health

Cancer: Main causes and lifestyle factors

The most common types of cancer in Thailand include liver cancer, bile duct cancer, lung cancer, colorectal cancer, breast cancer, and cervical cancer. Risk factors can be categorized into external factors, such as carcinogens in food, air, beverages, and medications, and internal factors, such as genetic abnormalities and immune system deficiencies, which can also contribute to cancer development. Early symptoms of cancer include:

• Changes in bowel or bladder habits
• Difficulty swallowing
• Sores that do not heal
• Bleeding from body openings
• Changes in moles or warts
• Persistent cough or hoarseness
• Abnormal bleeding from various orifices

Prevention

One of the key factors leading to cancer is lifestyle choices. Avoiding these risk factors can help reduce the likelihood of developing cancer: quitting smoking, reducing alcohol consumption. You should instead eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly, get sufficient sleep, and undergo regular health check-ups.

🔖 National Cancer Institute

🔖 Prachachat (Data as of 21/02/22)

🔖 Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital

Emerging diseases: Reduce risks with caution and prevention

Many people may not be familiar with the term emerging diseases, but when considering COVID-19 as an example, the concept becomes clearer. Emerging diseases refer to newly identified infectious diseases that have never been encountered before and require time for research and treatment development. These diseases can arise from new pathogens, spread to new geographical areas (re-emerging infectious diseases), or result from human activities involving biological agents.

The causes of emerging diseases are diverse, including population changes, pathogen evolution, misuse of antibiotics leading to drug resistance, technological advancements, and shifts in human behavior and lifestyle. These factors contribute to the rapid spread of diseases and the emergence of various infectious threats, such as SARS, avian influenza, seasonal flu, Ebola virus, Zika virus, and COVID-19.

Prevention

Although emerging diseases are unpredictable, individuals can take proactive measures to protect themselves. Most importantly, if an outbreak occurs, maintaining both physical and mental health is crucial. Adjusting one’s lifestyle to align with disease prevention measures, staying informed about ongoing health threats, exercising regularly, and consuming a balanced and diverse diet can help build resilience against emerging diseases.

🔖 Department of Disease Control

🔖 The Standard (Data as of 12/03/21)

“The greatest wealth is health.” This saying remains relevant at every stage of life, especially when preparing for retirement. As people age, illnesses become increasingly difficult to avoid. Additionally, post-retirement, many workplace benefits may no longer be available. Without proper financial planning, unexpected medical expenses could disrupt other aspirations, such as purchasing a new home or travelling the world, as savings may need to be redirected towards healthcare costs.

A comprehensive plan covering life protection, health, and investment is essential. It is crucial to choose the most valuable option, ensuring peace of mind even in the event of illness. We recommend uDesign, a unit-linked life insurance from Muang Thai Life Assurance, providing better coverage for better life.

• Pay the same premium for more life coverage (1)
• Fixed level premium throughout the contract period even with health rider attachment (2)
• Coverage for COVID-19, emerging diseases, critical illnesses and general diseases and long-lasting health care up to the age of 99 (3)
• Flexible policy, allowing you to top up, withdraw, and exercise premium holiday during the contract period
• The opportunity to receive a better return on investment from a wide range of quality mutual funds

For more information:

☑️ Call Tel. 1766, available 24/7.

☑️ Contact life insurance agents, or branches of Kasikornbank and Land and Houses Bank.

Remarks:

(1) Greater coverage is subjected to age, gender, health, and investment return when compared between Muang Thai Unit-Linked 1 (Regular Premium) and Muang Thai Smart Protection 99/20.

(2) Cost of insurance of the rider is deducted from account value.

(3) When Elite Health Rider or D Health Rider is attached, the coverage will be provided as long as the account value is sufficient to pay the policy expenses.

• Coverage period is subject to premium payment period, investment yield, and partial withdrawal.
• Premium (excluding investment portion) of this insurance plan is eligible for personalincome tax deduction according to the Notification of the Director-General of theRevenue Department on Income Tax No. 172 and
• Volatile investment market, premium holiday, and partial investment withdrawal mightlower entitled benefits and coverage.
• Coverage conditions are as specified in the insurance policy.
• Underwriting is subject to the Company’s rules.
• uDesign Campaigm is the marketing name of Muang Thai Unit-Linked Campaign.
• Conditions are subject to the medical practice guidelines, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of infection in a hospital in case of COVID-19 according to the announcement dated 2 November 2021, and guidelines for medical personnel for providing home isolation recommendations and service management for COVID-19 patients (revised version) dated 4 January 2022, or in accordance with the latest announcement.
• Conditions are subject to the medical standards and necessity.
• Please study the details of coverage, conditions, and exclusions before making a decision to purchase insurance.