Dyslipidemia Fact Sheet in South Korea, 2022

Abstract

Backgruound: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and status of dyslipidemia management among South Korean adults, as performed by the Korean Society of Lipid and Atherosclerosis under the name Dyslipidemia Fact Sheet 2022.

Methods: We analyzed the lipid profiles, age-standardized and crude prevalence, management status of hypercholesterolemia and dyslipidemia, and health behaviors among Korean adults aged ≥20 years, using the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data between 2007 and 2020.

Results: In South Korea, the crude prevalence of hypercholesterolemia (total cholesterol ≥240 mg/dL or use of a lipid-lowering drug) in 2020 was 24%, and the age-standardized prevalence of hypercholesterolemia more than doubled from 2007 to 2020. The crude treatment rate was 55.2%, and the control rate was 47.7%. The crude prevalence of dyslipidemia-more than one out of three conditions (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ≥160 or the use of a lipid-lowering drug, triglycerides ≥200, or high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [HDL-C] [men and women] <40 mg/dL)-was 40.2% between 2016 and 2020. However, it increased to 48.2% when the definition of hypo-HDL-cholesterolemia in women changed from <40 to <50 mg/dL.

Conclusion: Although the prevalence of hypercholesterolemia and dyslipidemia has steadily increased in South Korea, the treatment rate remains low. Therefore, continuous efforts are needed to manage dyslipidemia through cooperation between the national healthcare system, patients, and healthcare providers.

Keywords: Cholesterol; Disease management; Dyslipidemias; Health behavior; Prevalence; Republic of Korea.

Fig. 1.

(A) Age-standardized mean blood lipid concentrations. Age-standardized to the 2005 population. Data source from Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) 2007 to 2020. (B) Blood lipid concentration distributions in men (blue) and women (red). Data from 2016 to 2020 KNHANES; adults aged 20 years and older. HDL-C, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol; LDL-C, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol.

Fig. 2.

Prevalence of hypercholesterolemia. (A) Age-standardized prevalence of hypercholesterolemia. Standardized for the 2005 Korean population. (B) Crude prevalence of hypercholesterolemia. Data from 2007 to 2020 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey; adults aged 20 years or older. Hypercholesterolemia: total cholesterol ≥240 mg/dL or taking a lipid-lowering drug.

Fig. 3.

Management of hypercholesterolemia. Summary of awareness, treatment, and control rates. Data from 2019 to 2020 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey; adults aged 20 years or older with hypercholesterolemia. Hypercholesterolemia: total cholesterol ≥240 mg/dL or use of a lipid-lowering drug. Awareness: self-reported physician-diagnosed hypercholesterolemia or dyslipidemia. Treatment: self-reported use of a lipid-lowering drug. Control: total cholesterol level <200 mg/dL.

Fig. 4.

Prevalence of dyslipidemia. (A) Age-standardized prevalence of dyslipidemia. Data from 2007 to 2020 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES); adults aged 20 years or older. (B) Crude prevalence of dyslipedemia according to sex and age. Data from 2016 to 2020 KNHANES; adults aged 20 years or older. Dyslipidemia 1: hyper-low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, or hypo-high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterolemia (<40 mg/dL in both men and women). Dyslipidemia 2: hyper-LDL-cholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, or hypo-HDL-cholesterolemia (<40 mg/dL in men and <50 mg/dL in women).

Fig. 5.

Prevalence of dyslipidemia in specific populations. (A) Prevalence of dyslipidemia according to diabetes status. Data from 2016 to 2020 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES); adults aged 20 years or older. Prediabetes: fasting glucose 100–125 mg/dL or glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) 5.7%–6.4%. Diabetes: fasting glucose ≥126 mg/dL, HbA1c ≥6.5%, previously diagnosed or taking glucose-lowering drugs or insulin. Dyslipidemia: low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) ≥160 mg/dL, triglyceride ≥200 mg/dL, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) <40 mg/dL, or the use of a lipidlowering drug. (B) Prevalence of dyslipidemia according to the hypertension status. Data: 2016 to 2020 KNHANES; adults aged 20 years. Prehypertension: systolic blood pressure (SBP) 120–139 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) 80–89 mm Hg. Hypertension: SBP ≥140 mm Hg, DBP ≥90 mm Hg, or use of a blood pressure-lowering drug. Dyslipidemia: LDL-C ≥160 mg/dL, triglyceride ≥200 mg/dL, HDL-C <40 mg/dL, or the use of a lipid-lowering drug. (C) Prevalence of dyslipidemia according to the obesity status. Data from 2016 to 2020 KNHANES; adults aged 20 years or older. Dyslipidemia: LDL-C ≥160 mg/dL, triglyceride ≥200 mg/dL, HDL-C <40 mg/dL, or the use of a lipid-lowering drug. (D) Prevalence of dyslipidemia according to abdominal obesity. Data from 2016 to 2020 KNHANES; adults aged 20 years or older. Abdominal obesity was defined as waist circumference ≥90 cm in men, ≥85cm in women. BMI, body mass index. ^aDyslipidemia: LDL-C ≥100 mg/dL, triglyceride ≥200 mg/dL, HDLC <40 mg/dL, or taking a lipid-lowering drug, ^bDyslipidemia: LDL-C ≥130 mg/dL, triglyceride ≥200 mg/dL, HDL-C <40 mg/ dL, or taking a lipid-lowering drug.