The Prevalence, Awareness and Treatment of High Low Density Lipoprotein-Cholesterol in Korean Adults Without Coronary Heart Diseases

Background and Objectives: The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence, awareness and treatment of high low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) level in Korean adults without coronary heart disease. Subjects and Methods: National representative cross-sectional surveys, data of 5248 Korean adults (2246 men and 3002 women) aged between 20 and 79 years from the Third Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES III, 2005) was used. High LDLC level was defined with the risk prediction algorithm published by the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP III). Results: The prevalence of the Korean adults with high LDL-C level who need therapeutic lifestyle changes was 19.9%, treatment with lipid-lowing medication was 2.1% and awareness of this condition was 7.9%. Meanwhile, the prevalence of the Korean with very high LDL-C level who should be considered for drug therapy was 13.5%, treatment with lipid-lowing medication was 2.7% and awareness of this condition was 8.1%. Overall, 47.9% (60.3% in male and 39.1% in female) of participants had a single lipid disorder (high LDL-C, high triglycerides: ≥200 mg/dL, low high density lipo protein-cholesterol: <40 mg/dL), whereas 15.5% (23.5% in male and 9.7% in female) had at least two. Only 1.9% (2.8% in male and 1.2% in female) of all participants had all three lipid abnormalities as defined. Conclusion: These findings indicate that continuous efforts are needed to increase awareness and treatment of high LDL-C level in our population to prevent cardiovascular disease. (Korean Circ J 2012;42:86-94)