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. 2016 Sep;46(5):658-664.
doi: 10.4070/kcj.2016.46.5.658. Epub 2016 Sep 28.

Epidemiology of Heart Failure in Korea: Present and Future

Jung Hoon Lee  1 , Nam-Kyoo Lim  1 , Myeong-Chan Cho  2 , Hyun-Young Park  1
Affiliations

Epidemiology of Heart Failure in Korea: Present and Future

Jung Hoon Lee et al. Korean Circ J. 2016 Sep.

Abstract

Background and objectives: Heart failure (HF) is an important healthcare issue because of its high mortality, morbidity, and healthcare costs. The number of HF patients is increasing worldwide as a consequence of aging of the population. However, there are limited studies on the prevalence of HF in Korea. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of HF, its comorbidities, and the projected population with HF in the future.

Materials and methods: The prevalence and comorbidity estimates of HF were determined using data from the 2002-2013 National Sample Cohort based on the National Health Information Database. We calculated the projected prevalence of HF by multiplying the estimated prevalence in 2013 by the projected population counts for 2015-2040.

Results: The prevalence of HF in Korea was estimated to be 1.53% in 2013. The prevalence of HF in Korea is expected to increase by 2-fold, from 1.60% in 2015 to 3.35% in 2040. By 2040, more than 1.7 million Koreans are expected to have HF. In terms of comorbid diseases of HF, ischemic heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus were common (45.4%, 43.6%, and 49.1% in 2013, respectively). The prevalence rates of arrhythmia, valvular disease, and cardiomyopathy in HF patients were approximately 22.6%, 5.6%, and 3.1% in 2013, respectively.

Conclusion: This is the first nationwide report in Korea to demonstrate the prevalence and comorbidities of HF. These data may be used for the prevention and management of HF in Korea.

Keywords: Comorbidity; Heart failure; Prevalence; Projection; Risk factor.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no financial conflicts of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1. Prevalence of heart failure according to sex in 2002-2013.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2. Estimated prevalence of heart failure by age group (National Insurance Service's sample cohort database, 2013).
Fig. 3
Fig. 3. Comorbidities of heart failure patients in NHIS (2003 vs. 2013). IHD:ischemic heart disease, DM:diabetes mellitus.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4. Prevalence of comorbid diseases according to age and sex in NHIS (2013). (A) Ischemic heart disease, (B) Hypertension, (C) Diabetes mellitus (DM), (D) Arrhythmia, (E) Valvular heart diseases and (F) Cardiomyopathy.
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