Objective: Dyslipidemia, hypertension, and diabetes are well-established risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study investigated the prevalence and management status of these factors among Korean adults aged 30 years old and older.
Methods: The prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control rates of dyslipidemia, hypertension, and diabetes were analyzed among 12,229 subjects participating in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Survey (KNHANES) 2010-2012. Hyper-LDL-cholesterolemia was specifically defined according to the treatment criteria in Korea. Therefore, hyper- LDL-cholesterolemia was defined if their LDL cholesterol exceeded the appropriate risk-based threshold established by the NCEP-ATP III. Dyslipidemia was defined by hyper-LDLcholesterolemia or hypertriglyceridemia.
Results: The age-standardized prevalence was highest in dyslipidemia (39.6%), followed by hypertension (32.8%), and diabetes (9.8%). The lowest patient awareness was found for dyslipidemia (27.9%). The treatment rate was 66.5% for diabetes and 57.3% for hypertension, but only 15.7% for dyslipidemia. The control rate among those undergoing treatment was highest for hypertension (64.2%), followed by dyslipidemia (59.2%), and diabetes (22.1%). The higher the risk levels of CVD were, the lower the control rate of dyslipidemia.
Conclusion: The prevalence of dyslipidemia is higher than hypertension and diabetes, but its awareness and treatment rate are lower. The higher CVD-risk categories show lower control rates of dyslipidemia. In order to improve the awareness and treatment rate of dyslipidemia, the Korea National Health Screening Program (KNHSP) must shift from its current diagnosis-focused approach to a treatment-oriented approach by strengthening the follow-up management for dyslipidemia patients.