Korea Hypertension Fact Sheet 2023: analysis of nationwide population-based data with a particular focus on hypertension in special populations.

BACKGROUND: The Korea Hypertension Fact Sheet 2023, presented by the Korean Society of Hypertension, offers an overview of the prevalence and management of hypertension, along with recent trends. METHODS: Data for the Fact Sheet were derived from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey spanning 1998 to 2021, and the National Health Insurance Big Data from 2002 to 2021. RESULTS: As of 2021, hypertension affected 28.0% of Korean adults aged 20 and older, totaling approximately 12.3 million individuals, with 5.3 million (43.5%) aged 65 or older. Among those with hypertension, awareness stood at 74.1%, treatment rates at 70.3%, and control rates at 56.0%. Over the years, the number of hypertension diagnoses increased from 3.0 million in 2002 to 11.1 million in 2021. During the same period, the utilization of antihypertensive medications rose from 2.5 million to 10.5 million, with treatment adherence also improving from 0.6 million to 7.8 million individuals. In 2021, the predominant antihypertensive drug class was angiotensin receptor blockers (75.1%), followed by calcium channel blockers (61.7%), diuretics (23.4%), and beta blockers (15.3%). Notably, 60.2% of all antihypertensive prescriptions involved combination therapy with at least two classes of antihypertensive medication. There was a positive trend towards stricter blood pressure control targets (systolic/diastolic blood pressure < 130/80 mmHg) among elderly hypertensive patients, as well as those with diabetes, obesity, and high-risk hypertension. However, this trend declined in individuals aged 80 years or older and those with chronic kidney disease in recent years. CONCLUSION: In Korea, hypertension management is making strides, yet the total number of hypertensive individuals is rising. Effectively addressing the growing population of elderly hypertensive patients and the persistently low treatment rates among younger individuals with hypertension is a critical challenge. Additionally, developing more efficient and customized policies for blood pressure control and cardiovascular disease prevention is imperative.

Identification of acute myocardial infarction and stroke events using the National Health Insurance Service database in Korea.

OBJECTIVES: The escalating burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a critical public health issue worldwide. CVD, especially acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and stroke, is the leading contributor to morbidity and mortality in Korea. We aimed to develop algorithms for identifying AMI and stroke events from the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) database and validate these algorithms through medical record review. METHODS: We first established a concept and definition of "hospitalization episode," taking into account the unique features of health claims-based NHIS database. We then developed first and recurrent event identification algorithms, separately for AMI and stroke, to determine whether each hospitalization episode represents a true incident case of AMI or stroke. Finally, we assessed our algorithms' accuracy by calculating their positive predictive values (PPVs) based on medical records of algorithm- identified events. RESULTS: We developed identification algorithms for both AMI and stroke. To validate them, we conducted retrospective review of medical records for 3,140 algorithm-identified events (1,399 AMI and 1,741 stroke events) across 24 hospitals throughout Korea. The overall PPVs for the first and recurrent AMI events were around 92% and 78%, respectively, while those for the first and recurrent stroke events were around 88% and 81%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: We successfully developed algorithms for identifying AMI and stroke events. The algorithms demonstrated high accuracy, with PPVs of approximately 90% for first events and 80% for recurrent events. These findings indicate that our algorithms hold promise as an instrumental tool for the consistent and reliable production of national CVD statistics in Korea.

Incidence and case fatality of acute myocardial infarction in Korea, 2011-2020.

OBJECTIVES: Cardiovascular diseases are a leading cause of mortality worldwide, and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is particularly fatal condition. We evaluated the incidence and case fatality rates of AMI in Korea from 2011 to 2020. METHODS: We utilized data from the National Health Insurance Services to calculate crude, age-standardized, and age-specific incidence rates, along with 30-day and 1-year case fatality rates, of AMI from 2011 to 2020. Age-standardized incidence rates were determined using direct standardization to the 2005 population. RESULTS: The crude incidence rate of AMI per 100,000 person-years consistently increased from 44.7 in 2011 to 68.3 in 2019, before decreasing slightly to 66.2 in 2020. The age-standardized incidence rate of AMI displayed a 19% rise from 2011 to 2019, followed by a slight decline in 2020. The increasing trend for AMI incidence was more pronounced in males than in females. Both 30-day and 1-year case fatality rates remained stable among younger individuals but showed a decrease among older individuals. There was a minor surge in case fatality in 2020, particularly among recurrent AMI cases. CONCLUSIONS: Over the past decade, the AMI incidence rate in Korea has consistently increased, with a slight downturn in 2020. The case fatality rate has remained relatively stable except for a minor increase in 2020. This study provides data for continuous surveillance, the implementation of targeted interventions, and the advancement of research aimed at AMI in Korea.

Incidence and case fatality of stroke in Korea, 2011-2020.

OBJECTIVES: Stroke remains the second leading cause of death in Korea. This study was designed to estimate the crude, age-adjusted and age-specific incidence rates, as well as the case fatality rate of stroke, in Korea from 2011 to 2020. METHODS: We utilized data from the National Health Insurance Services from January 1, 2002 to December 31, 2020, to calculate incidence rates and 30-day and 1-year case fatality rates of stroke. Additionally, we determined sex and age-specific incidence rates and computed age-standardized incidence rates by direct standardization to the 2005 population. RESULTS: The crude incidence rate of stroke hovered around 200 (per 100,000 person-years) from 2011 to 2015, then surged to 218.4 in 2019, before marginally declining to 208.0 in 2020. Conversely, the age-standardized incidence rate consistently decreased by 25% between 2011 and 2020. When stratified by sex, the crude incidence rate increased between 2011 and 2019 for both sexes, followed by a decrease in 2020. Age-standardized incidence rates displayed a downward trend throughout the study period for both sexes. Across all age groups, the 30-day and 1-year case fatality rates of stroke consistently decreased from 2011 to 2019, only to increase in 2020. CONCLUSIONS: Despite a decrease in the age-standardized incidence rate, the total number of stroke events in Korea continues to rise due to the rapidly aging population. Moreover, 2020 witnessed a decrease in incidence but an increase in case fatality rates.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease and risk of cardiovascular disease.

OBJECTIVE: We explored clinical implications of the new definition of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) by assessing its prevalence and associated cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. DESIGN: From nationwide health screening data, we identified 9 775 066 adults aged 20-79 who underwent health examination in 2009. Participants were categorised into four mutually exclusive groups: (1) MASLD; (2) MASLD with increased alcohol intake (MetALD); (3) MASLD with other combined aetiology (the three collectively referred to as MASLD/related steatotic liver disease (SLD)); and (4) no MASLD/related SLD. SLD was determined by fatty liver index ≥30. The primary outcome was CVD event, defined as a composite of myocardial infarction, ischaemic stroke, heart failure or cardiovascular death. RESULTS: The prevalence of MASLD, MetALD and MASLD with other combined aetiology was 27.5%, 4.4% and 1.5%, respectively. A total of 8 808 494 participants without prior CVD were followed up for a median of 12.3 years, during which 272 863 CVD events occurred. The cumulative incidence and multivariable-adjusted risk of CVD were higher in participants with MASLD/related SLD than in those without (HR 1.38 (95% CI 1.37 to 1.39)). Multivariable-adjusted HR (95% CI) of CVD events was 1.39 (1.38 to 1.40) for MASLD, 1.28 (1.26 to 1.30) for MetALD and 1.30 (1.26 to 1.34) for MASLD with other combined aetiology compared to the absence of any of these conditions. CVD risk was also higher in participants with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease than in those without the respective condition. CONCLUSION: Over one-third of Korean adults have MASLD/related SLD and bear a high CVD risk.

Association of Prophylactic Distal Perfusion Cannulation With Mortality in Patients Receiving Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation.

Prophylactic distal perfusion cannulation (PDPC) is protectively associated with limb ischemia in patients with cardiogenic shock (CS) receiving femoral venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO). However, evidence supporting its benefits beyond limb ischemia reduction is scarce. We aimed to investigate whether PDPC, compared with no-PDPC, is associated with a lower risk of mortality in patients receiving VA-ECMO. From a multicenter registry, we identified 479 patients who underwent VA-ECMO support for refractory CS. The association of PDPC with 30-day mortality was assessed using multiple methods, including instrumental variable analysis, overlap weighting, and propensity score matching. Of the 479 patients, 154 (32.2%) received PDPC. The 30-day mortality rate was 33.1% in the PDPC group and 53.2% in the no-PDPC group. The instrumental variable analysis showed a protective association of PDPC with 30-day mortality (absolute risk difference -16.7%, 95% confidence interval -31.3% to -2.1%; relative risk 0.68, 95% confidence interval 0.40 to 0.96). The findings were consistent in the overlap-weighted analysis (hazard ratio 0.68, 95% confidence interval 0.48 to 0.98) and in the propensity score-matched analysis (hazard ratio 0.67, 95% confidence interval 0.45 to 1.00). There were no significant differences in safety outcomes, including stroke, ECMO site bleeding, gastrointestinal bleeding, and sepsis, between PDPC and no-PDPC. In conclusion, PDPC was associated with a lower risk of mortality at 30 days in patients with CS receiving VA-ECMO. The efficacy and safety of PDPC merit evaluation in future randomized studies. Clinical trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov; NCT02985008.

Korea hypertension fact sheet 2022: analysis of nationwide population-based data with a special focus on hypertension in the elderly.

BACKGROUND: The Korean Society of Hypertension has published the Korea Hypertension Fact Sheet 2022 to provide an overview of the magnitude and management status of hypertension and their recent trends. METHODS: The Fact Sheets were based on the analyses of Korean adults aged 20 years or older of the 1998-2020 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and the 2002-2020 National Health Insurance Big Data. RESULTS: As of 2020, 29.4% of the adult population aged 20 or older in Korea, about 12.6 million people, have high blood pressure, of which 5.0 million (40%) are 65 years of age or older and 1.2 million (10%) are 80 years of age or older. Among those with hypertension, the awareness rate is 69%, the treatment rate is 65%, and the control rate is 47%. The number of people diagnosed with hypertension increased from 3.0 million in 2002 to 10.5 million in 2020. During the same period, the number of people using antihypertensive medication increased from 2.5 million to 9.9 million, and the number of people adherent to treatment increased from 0.6 million to 7.4 million. Among those treated for hypertension in 2020, 74% used angiotensin blockers, 61% used calcium channel blockers, 24% used diuretics, and 15% used beta blockers. Combination therapy with at least two classes of antihypertensive medication consisted of 60% of all antihypertensive prescriptions. The number of people with hypertension aged 65 or older is increasing very rapidly compared to those aged 20-64. Awareness and treatment rates of hypertension improved rapidly, especially in those aged 65 or older, but the rate of improvement slowed since 2012. CONCLUSIONS: In Korea, the level of hypertension management is improving, but the absolute number of people with hypertension, especially elderly hypertension, is increasing due to the rapid aging of the population. It is necessary to develop more efficient and target-specific policies to control blood pressure and prevent cardiovascular disease.

Device Effectiveness for Femoropopliteal Artery Disease Treatment: An Analysis of K-VIS ELLA Registry.

BACKGROUND: Although drug-coated balloons (DCBs) and drug-eluting stents (DES) are frequently used for the treatment of femoropopliteal artery (FPA) disease, their mid- or long-term clinical efficacy in real-world practice is still limited. OBJECTIVES: From the K-VIS ELLA (Korean Vascular Intervention Society Endovascular Therapy in Lower Limb Artery Diseases) multicenter registry cohort, clinical outcomes of drug-eluting devices for FPA lesions in comparison with bare-metal stents (BMS) were evaluated. METHODS: Limbs that underwent percutaneous transluminal angioplasty for FPA lesions with plain old balloon angioplasty (POBA, n = 826), BMS (n = 943), DCBs (n = 778), or DES (n = 227) between 2012 and 2020 were included. The primary outcome was target lesion revascularization (TLR) at 2 years. Inverse probability of treatment weighting was used to account for confounding. RESULTS: After inverse probability of treatment weighting, baseline characteristics were well-balanced among groups. Compared with the 2-year cumulative incidence of TLR with BMS (26.5%), the incidence of TLR was significantly lower in limbs treated with DCBs (15.9%; HR: 0.44; 95% CI: 0.30-0.64; P < 0.001) or DES (15.9%; HR: 0.51; 95% CI: 0.29-0.87; P = 0.014). No significant differences were observed in the risk of TLR between DCBs vs DES (HR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.51-1.49; P = 0.613) and POBA vs BMS (HR: 0.94; 95% CI: 0.73-1.21; P = 0.626). All-cause mortality was comparable in the 4 groups. Treatment with DCBs showed a more pronounced favorable outcome in limbs with Trans-Atlantic Inter-Society Consensus II type C/D lesions or long lesions (≥150 mm) compared with POBA, BMS, or DES (Pinteraction< 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In real-world practice, DCBs and DES demonstrated comparably superior midterm outcomes over POBA or BMS in the treatment of FPA lesions.

Epidemiology of PAH in Korea: An Analysis of the National Health Insurance Data, 2002-2018.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare but fatal disease. Recent advances in PAH-specific drugs have improved its outcomes, although the healthcare burden of novel therapeutics may lead to a discrepancy in outcomes between developing and developed countries. We analyzed how the epidemiology and clinical features of PAH has changed through the rapidly advancing healthcare infrastructure in South Korea. METHODS: PAH was defined according to a newly devised 3-component algorithm. Using a nationwide health insurance claims database, we delineated annual trends in the prevalence, incidence, medication prescription pattern, and 5-year survival of PAH in Korea. Cumulative survival and potential predictors of mortality were also assessed among 2,151 incident PAH cases. RESULTS: Between 2002 or 2004 and 2018, the prevalence and incidence of PAH increased 75-fold (0.4 to 29.9 per million people) and 12-fold (0.5 to 6.3 per million person-years), respectively. The proportion of patients on combination PAH-specific drug therapy has also steadily increased up to 29.0% in 2018. Among 2,151 incident PAH cases (median [interquartile range] age, 50 [37-62] years; 67.2% female), the 5-year survival rate and median survival duration were 71.8% and 13.1 years, respectively. Independent predictors of mortality were age, sex, etiology of PAH, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and chronic kidney disease. CONCLUSIONS: This nationwide study delineated that the prevalence and incidence of PAH have grown rapidly in Korea since the early 2000s. The use of combination therapy has also increased, and the 5-year survival rate of PAH in Korea was similar to those in western countries.

Association of group-level segregation with cardiovascular health in older adults: an analysis of data from the Korean Social Life, Health, and Aging Project.

OBJECTIVES: The adverse health effects of individual-level social isolation (e.g., perceived loneliness) have been well documented in older adults. However, little is known about the impact of collective-level social isolation on health outcomes. We sought to examine the association of group-level segregation with cardiovascular health (CVH) in older adults. METHODS: From the prospective Korean Social Life, Health, and Aging Project database, we identified 528 community-dwelling older adults who were aged ≥60 years or were married to those aged ≥60 years. Participants who belonged to smaller social groups separate from the major social group were defined as group-level-segregated. The CVH score was calculated as the number of ideal non-dietary CVH metrics (0-6), as modified from the American Heart Association's Life's Simple 7. Using ordinal logistic regression models, we assessed cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between group-level segregation and CVH. RESULTS: Of the 528 participants (mean age, 71.7 years; 60.0% female), 108 (20.5%) were segregated at baseline. In the crosssectional analysis, group-level segregation was significantly associated with lower odds of having a higher CVH score at baseline after adjusting for socio-demographic factors and cognitive function (odds ratio [OR], 0.64; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.43 to 0.95). Among 274 participants who completed an 8-year follow-up, group-level segregation at baseline was marginally associated with lower odds of having a higher CVH score at 8 years (OR, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.24 to 1.02). CONCLUSIONS: Group-level segregation was associated with worse CVH. These findings imply that the social network structure of a community may influence its members' health status.

Blood Pressure Classification Using the 2017 ACC/AHA Guideline and Heart Failure in Patients With Cancer.

PURPOSE: Despite the growing recognition of the importance of hypertension in patients with cancer, little is known about whether high blood pressure (BP) among patients with cancer is associated with incident heart failure (HF) and other cardiovascular disease (CVD) events and what BP levels are linked to these events. We examined the association of BP classification on the basis of the 2017 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association BP guideline with the risk of HF and CVD events in patients with cancer. METHODS: We studied 33,991 patients with a history of breast, colorectal, or stomach cancer (median age, 53 years; 34.1% men). Patients receiving treatment with BP-lowering medications or having a history of CVD including HF were excluded. Using BP measurements at baseline, 33,991 participants were categorized as having normal BP (n = 17,444), elevated BP (n = 4,733), stage 1 hypertension (n = 7,502), or stage 2 hypertension (n = 4,312). The primary outcome was HF. RESULTS: Over a mean follow-up of 2.6 ± 2.2 years, 779 HF events were recorded. After multivariable adjustment, the hazard ratios (HRs) for HF were 1.15 (95% CI, 0.93 to 1.44) for elevated BP, 1.24 (95% CI, 1.03 to 1.49) for stage 1 hypertension, and 1.99 (95% CI, 1.63 to 2.43) for stage 2 hypertension. A stepwise increase in risk with BP categories was also observed in other CVD events. This association was observed even in patients undergoing active cancer treatment. The relationship between hypertension and the risk of developing HF in patients with cancer was confirmed in the Korean National Health Insurance Service database. CONCLUSION: Medication-naïve stage 1 and 2 hypertension was associated with a greater risk of HF and other CVD events in patients with cancer. Our results suggest the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration (eg, oncologists and cardiologists) to establish the optimal management strategy for hypertension in patients with cancer.

Medication-Naïve Blood Pressure and Incident Cancers: Analysis of 2 Nationwide Population-Based Databases.

BACKGROUND: Results of preceding studies on the relationship between blood pressure (BP) and cancers have been confounded due to individuals taking antihypertensive medications or shared risk factors. We assessed whether medication-naïve high BP is a risk factor for incident cancers. METHODS: This retrospective observational study included 1,388,331 individuals without a prior history of cancer and not taking antihypertensive medications enrolled in the JMDC Claims Database between 2005 and 2018. The primary outcome was 16 cancers. RESULTS: The median [interquartile range] age was 45 [40-52] years and 56.2% were men. Mean systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) were 117.7 ± 15.8 and 72.8 ± 11.6 mm Hg. Multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated that SBP per 1-SD was associated with a higher incidence of thyroid (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.09, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03-1.16), esophageal (HR: 1.15, 95% CI: 1.07-1.24), colorectal (HR: 1.04, 95% CI: 1.01-1.07), liver (HR: 1.11, 95% CI: 1.03-1.20), and kidney (HR: 1.22, 95% CI: 1.14-1.31) cancers, but with a lower incidence of stomach cancer (HR: 0.94, 95% CI: 0.91-0.98). These associations remained significant after adjustment for multiple testing. DBP was associated with higher incidences of thyroid, esophageal, colorectal, kidney, and corpus uteri cancers, but with a lower incidence of stomach cancer. The associations between SBP and incidences of thyroid, esophageal, colorectal, liver, and kidney cancers were confirmed in the Korean National Health Insurance Service database. CONCLUSIONS: Medication-naïve BP was associated with higher incidences of thyroid, esophageal, colorectal, liver, and kidney cancers. Uncovering the underlying mechanisms for our results may help identify novel therapeutic approach for hypertension and cancer.

Cardiovascular Implications of the 2021 KDIGO Blood Pressure Guideline for Adults With Chronic Kidney Disease.

BACKGROUND: The 2021 Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) guideline recommends a systolic blood pressure (BP) target of <120 mm Hg for nondialysis chronic kidney disease (CKD). OBJECTIVES: We sought to examine the potential implications of the 2021 KDIGO BP target, compared with the 2012 KDIGO and 2017 American College of Cardiology (ACC)/American Heart Association (AHA) BP targets, as related to cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes. METHODS: From the cross-sectional Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) and longitudinal National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) data, adults with nondialysis CKD were identified and categorized into 4 groups based on concordance/discordance between guidelines: 1) above both targets; 2) above 2021 KDIGO only; 3) above 2012 KDIGO or 2017 ACC/AHA only; and 4) controlled within both targets. We determined the nationally representative proportion and CVD risk of each group. RESULTS: In KNHANES (n = 1,939), 50.2% had BP above both 2021 and 2012 KDIGO targets, 15.9% above the 2021 KDIGO target only, 3.5% above the 2012 KDIGO target only, and 30.4% controlled within both targets. In NHIS (n = 412,167; median follow-up: 10.0 years), multivariable-adjusted HRs for CVD events were 1.52 (95% CI: 1.47-1.58) among participants with BP above both targets, 1.28 (95% CI: 1.24-1.32) among those with BP above 2021 KDIGO only, and 1.07 (95% CI: 0.61-1.89) among those with BP above 2012 KDIGO only, compared to those with BP controlled within both targets. Results were similar for comparison between 2021 KDIGO and 2017 ACC/AHA BP targets. CONCLUSIONS: New candidates for BP-lowering treatment per the 2021 KDIGO guideline account for a substantial proportion of the total CKD population and bear significantly high CVD risk.

Korea hypertension fact sheet 2021: analysis of nationwide population-based data with special focus on hypertension in women.

BACKGROUND: The Korean Society of Hypertension has published the Korea Hypertension Fact Sheet 2021 to provide an overview of the magnitude and management status of hypertension and their recent trends. METHODS: The Fact Sheets were based on the analyses of Korean adults aged 20 years or older of the 1998-2019 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and the 2002-2019 National Health Insurance Big Data. RESULTS: Currently, the population average of systolic/diastolic blood pressure was 119/76 mmHg in Korean adults aged 20 years or older showing little change in the recent decade. It is estimated that 28% of the adult population aged 20 or older (33% of adults aged 30 or older) have hypertension. The estimated number of people with hypertension was 6.30 million for men and 5.77 million for women, and 1.96 million for men and 2.99 million for women among the population aged 65 or older. The number of people diagnosed with hypertension increased from 3.0 million in 2002 to 10.1 million in 2019. During the same period, the number of people using antihypertensive medication increased from 2.5 million to 9.5 million, and the number of people adherent to treatment increased from 0.6 million to 6.9 million. Among antihypertensive prescriptions, 40.6% of the patients received monotherapy, 43.4% received dual therapy, and 16.0% received triple or more therapy. The most commonly prescribed antihypertensive medication was angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB), followed by calcium channel blockers (CCB) and diuretics. In young women, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi), ARB and CCB are less frequently prescribed than in men, but 59.5% of hypertensive women aged 20-39 are prescribed ACEi or ARBs. Hypertensive disorders during pregnancy have been increasing over the past 10 years. In 2019, 5.4% of women who gave birth were diagnosed with chronic hypertension and 3.1% with pregnancy-induced hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: To achieve further improvement in management of hypertension, we need to encourage awareness and treatment in young adults. It is required to develop tailored prevention and management strategies that are appropriate for and inclusive of various demographics.

On-Treatment Blood Pressure and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Adults With Hypertension and Left Ventricular Hypertrophy.

BACKGROUND: Benefits of intensive blood pressure lowering on health outcomes have been demonstrated in high-risk patients. However, little is known about such benefits in patients with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). OBJECTIVES: This study sought to investigate the association of on-treatment blood pressure with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in adults with hypertension and LVH. METHODS: From a nationwide health examination database, this study identified 95,545 participants aged 40-79 years who were taking antihypertensive medication and had LVH on baseline electrocardiography. Using Cox models, HRs and 95% CIs for CVD events were calculated according to systolic blood pressure (SBP) or diastolic blood pressure (DBP). RESULTS: Over a median follow-up of 11.5 years, 12,035 new CVD events occurred. An SBP of <130 mm Hg and DBP of <80 mm Hg were associated with the lowest risk for CVD events in cubic spline models. When the group with SBP of 120-129 mm Hg was the reference, multivariable-adjusted HRs were 1.31 (95% CI: 1.24-1.38) in the ≥140 mm Hg group, 1.08 (95% CI: 1.02-1.15) in the 130-139 mm Hg group, and 1.03 (95% CI: 0.93-1.15) in the <120 mm Hg group. Likewise, when the group with DBP of 70-79 mm Hg was the reference, multivariable-adjusted HRs were 1.30 (95% CI: 1.24-1.37) in the ≥90 mm Hg group, 1.06 (95% CI: 1.01-1.12) in the 80-89 mm Hg group, and 1.08 (95% CI: 0.96 to 1.20) in the <70 mm Hg group. CONCLUSIONS: In adults with hypertension and LVH, the risk for CVD events was the lowest at SBP <130 mm Hg and DBP <80 mm Hg. Further randomized trials are warranted to establish optimal blood pressure-lowering strategies for these patients.

Modifiable Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease in Korea and Japan.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death and a major contributor to disability worldwide. Since the majority of cardiovascular events are preventable, identification of modifiable CVD risk factors and implementation of primordial prevention strategies should be a public health priority. In this aspect, the American Heart Association declared a strategic goal to reduce total CVD mortality in the US by 20% within 10 years via eliminating 7 major CVD risk factors (hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, cigarette smoking, physical inactivity, obesity, and poor-quality diet) in 2010, and their strategy has been achieving. However, the applicability of similar metrics to prevent CVD among East Asians requires an in-depth investigation of the modifiable CVD risk factors based on national and regional evidence-based findings. Herein, this review article aims to discuss several modifiable risk factors for CVDs, using epidemiological evidence from cohort studies and nationally representative data of 2 East Asian countries: Korea and Japan.

Dyslipidemia Fact Sheets in Korea 2020: an Analysis of Nationwide Population-based Data.

OBJECTIVE: The Korean Society of Lipid and Atherosclerosis (KSoLA) has published the Dyslipidemia Fact Sheets in Korea 2020 to provide an overview of magnitude and management status of dyslipidemia and their recent trends therein. METHODS: The Fact Sheets were based on the analyses of Korean adults aged 20 years or older of the 2007-2018 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) and the 2002-2018 National Health Insurance Big Data (NHI-BD). RESULTS: Between 2007 and 2018, the crude prevalence of hypercholesterolemia increased from 9.0% to 20.7%. During the same period, its management rate also improved yet remained unsatisfactory. In 2018, the prevalence of dyslipidemia was 45.6% in men and 31.3% in women, which increased with older age and presence of metabolic abnormalities. Indeed, the number of people diagnosed with dyslipidemia has increased nearly 8-fold from 1.5 million in 2002 to 11.6 million in 2018; alongside, the number of people receiving pharmacological treatment for dyslipidemia has also risen. Of the 7.7 million people treated for dyslipidemia in 2018, statin accounted for the majority (91.8%) of lipid-lowering drug prescriptions, followed by ezetimibe (14.6%), fibrate (8.5%), and omega-3 acid (5.9%). The most frequently used combination therapy was statin plus ezetimibe, accounting for 72% of dual therapy prescriptions. CONCLUSION: Dyslipidemia continues to impose a substantial disease burden in Korea. Both healthcare practitioners and patients need to actively adopt guideline-recommended lifestyle modification and pharmacological treatment for comprehensive, timely, and sustained management.