“I can’t recognize people”... 87-year-old Jeon Won-joo, who thought it was simple forgetfulness, makes a “shocking confession” [Health Talk]

[Financial News] Veteran actress Jeon Won-joo, 87, revealed that she had been diagnosed with “mild cognitive impairment,” which is considered a pre-dementia stage. Unlike ordinary forgetfulness, mild cognitive impairment carries a high risk of progressing to dementia, earning it the name “the golden time for dementia prevention.” Experts stress that proactive early diagnosis and management are especially important.

Jeon will appear on the MBN music variety show “Unforgettable Duet 2,” airing on the 31st, and speak candidly about the memory loss symptoms she has been experiencing recently.
During the show’s recording, Jeon showed signs of change, including being unable to recall a recent meeting with Kim Hyung-ja, a close colleague and friend of 55 years. Jeon said, “These days, I can’t recognize people right away. I’m told I met someone not long ago, but I can’t really remember,” and confessed, “I was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment, a pre-dementia stage.”
She added, “I suddenly felt scared and frightened that I might forget the life I’ve lived and the people dear to me,” and said, “But I appeared on the show because I wanted to preserve who I am today alongside the people I love, and etch the memories I hold now deep in my heart.” Even so, she resolved with her trademark fortitude, “Jeon Won-joo isn’t dead yet. This is just the beginning.”

“Mild cognitive impairment (MCI),” which Jeon has, refers to a condition in which cognitive abilities such as memory, language, and visuospatial skills have declined noticeably compared with others of the same age, while the ability to carry out daily activities independently remains intact. It is an intermediate stage between ordinary forgetfulness associated with normal aging and dementia.
With ordinary forgetfulness, a hint or clue often prompts someone to immediately recall what they had forgotten, saying, “Oh, that’s right.” They also tend to be keenly aware of their own memory decline.
By contrast, people with mild cognitive impairment often completely lose specific facts or events from memory. They may be unable to recall what happened even when given a hint, or fail to remember an entire conversation from a few days earlier and repeatedly ask the same question.
The medical community is focused on mild cognitive impairment because of the risk of progression to dementia. While the annual likelihood of dementia developing among older adults in general is only around 1–2%, an estimated 10–15% of people with mild cognitive impairment worsen each year, developing conditions such as Alzheimer’s dementia. Conversely, if treatment and lifestyle changes are pursued proactively at this stage, the chances of cognitive function returning to normal are also much higher than for people with dementia.

Experts stress that early diagnosis at the mild cognitive impairment stage and adopting healthy lifestyle habits are key to slowing or preventing the progression of dementia.
Jeon is reportedly continuing to appear on television and pursue singing despite her advanced age, while making efforts to keep her brain active through regular exercise, including walking every day.
Experts stress that even small changes to daily habits can significantly slow cognitive decline.
First, consistently doing sweat-inducing aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking or swimming, for at least 30 minutes a day, three to four times a week can increase blood flow to the brain and promote the formation of nerve cells. It is also essential for maintaining brain function to take up hobbies that constantly stimulate the mind, such as reading, writing, or playing an instrument, and to engage socially by meeting and talking with family and friends often rather than becoming isolated.
It is also important to carefully manage chronic conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes, and to get enough sleep—seven to eight hours every day—to help waste products in the brain be cleared effectively.
Medical professionals advise, “If, as you get older, you increasingly have trouble remembering people’s names or often forget where you put things, don’t dismiss it as ‘just a consequence of aging.’ It is safer to seek an early cognitive function assessment at a nearby dementia support center run by a public health center, or at a neurology or psychiatry clinic.”
[email protected] Moon Young-jin Reporter