Cardiovascular risk prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control from 1998 to 2007 in Koreans

This study estimated prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control rates of cardiovascular risk (CV) defined as hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, and diabetes from 1998 to 2007 among Koreans. Data using self-report or screening examination were obtained from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) conducted in 1998, 2001, 2005, and 2007, for the 30-79 year age range. The age-adjusted prevalence of hypercholesterolemia slightly increased across the surveys, while those values of hypertension and diabetes revealed decreasing trends. Awareness and control rates among participants with diabetes and hypertension improved over the period of surveys in both genders, but treatment rate varied among risk factors (24-39% for those with prior diagnosis of hypercholesterolemia, 59-90% for hypertension, and 52-99% for diabetes). In the survey of 2007, participants who achieved target levels made up 67-90% of those who received hypercholesterolemia treatment, 55-73% of those who received hypertension treatment, and 62-74% of those who received diabetes treatment. Although awareness and control rate of CV risk factors improved across survey periods, strategies for reducing disparity from the assessment and control between CV risk factors will be required.