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. 2004 Apr;19(2):195-201.
doi: 10.3346/jkms.2004.19.2.195.

Prevalence of the metabolic syndrome and its association with cardiovascular diseases in Korea

Myoung-Hee Kim  1 , Mi-Kyung Kim, Bo-Youl Choi, Young-Jeon Shin
Affiliations

Prevalence of the metabolic syndrome and its association with cardiovascular diseases in Korea

Myoung-Hee Kim et al. J Korean Med Sci. 2004 Apr.

Abstract

This study aimed to estimate nationwide prevalence of the metabolic syndrome and to identify its association with cardiovascular diseases. The data on a national representative sample of 6,147 adults from 1998 Korea National Health and Nutrition Survey were analyzed. The syndrome was determined according to two kinds of modified definition from ATP III, in which abdominal obesity was determined by waist circumference (WC) standard for Asians and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). Based on the former, prevalence was 22.1% in men and 27.8% in women. However, based on the latter, prevalence was 28.6% and 27.8%, respectively. Although age-specific prevalence was higher in men than in women among the younger group, it became higher in women among the older group because of its steeper rise with age. In multiple logistic regression, the syndrome was found to be positively associated with cardiovascular diseases (adjusted odds ratios (ORs)1.97 by WC and 1.48 by WHR in men, and 1.54 and 1.31 in women). Moreover, its effect size exceeded that of total cholesterol (adjusted ORs 1.21 in men, and 1.08 in women) or LDL cholesterol (1.58 in men and 1.22 in women). It is obvious that the metabolic syndrome prevails in Korea, and its importance regarding cardiovascular diseases is considerable. Prevention strategies should be implemented immediately to avoid cardiovascular epidemic in the near future.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Relationships among waist circumference (WC), hip girth, and waist to hip ratio (WHR) by age group.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Age-specific prevalence of individual metabolic abnormalities of the metabolic syndrome among Korean adults aged ≥25 yr, from Korea National Health & Nutrition Survey in 1998. *Metabolic syndrome was defined by ATP III, of which criteria for abdominal obesity was replaced with waist circumference for Asians (WC), and waist to hip ratio (WHR).
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