Prevalence and Management of Dyslipidemia, Hypertension, Diabetes Among Adults in Gangwon-do, Korea: the 2013-2014 KNHSP

Dyslipidemia, hypertension, and diabetes are well-established risk factors for cardio-cerebrovascular disease (CVD). Although the prevalence of dyslipidemia among Korean adults is very high, its management is known to be poor. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control rates of dyslipidemia among adults aged 30 years and older in Gangwon-do, Korea. Analysis included 58,121 adults (29,123 males and 28,998 females) participating in the 2013-2014 Korea National Health Screening Program (KNHSP). Dyslipidemia was defined according to the treatment criteria rather than the diagnostic criteria in Korea. Therefore, high-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL)-cholesterolemia was deemed present in individuals with LDL-cholesterol levels that exceeded the appropriate risk-based threshold. The age-standardized prevalence was highest in dyslipidemia (32.5%), followed by hypertension (25.1%), and diabetes (9.4%). The awareness rate was 76.7% for hypertension and 74.7% for diabetes, but only 10.6% for dyslipidemia. The lowest patient treatment was found for dyslipidemia (9.4%). The control rate among those undergoing treatment was highest for hypertension (75.8), followed by dyslipidemia (63.3%), and diabetes (43.9%). The higher CVD-risk categories showed lower control rates of hyper-LDL-cholesterolemia. The prevalence of dyslipidemia was higher than hypertension and diabetes, but awareness and treatment rates were lower. Our findings indicate there is a wide gap between the prevalence of dyslipidemia and subsequent treatment, which suggests that effective strategies are required to improve dyslipidemia management. It would be worthwhile to strengthen the follow-up management of patients with dyslipidemia in the KNHSP, especially for the high risk group of CVD.