Background: This study aimed to investigate recent trends in the prevalence and parameters of dyslipidemia and rates of lipid-lowering medication use in Korean adults. Trends in lipid profiles in subjects with hypertension, diabetes or obesity were also studied.
Methods: Data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2005, 2008 and 2010 were used in this study. A total of 17 009 subjects participated in this study.
Results: There was a declining trend in the prevalence of dyslipidemia and an increasing trend in the rates of use of lipid-lowering medication among Korean adults. In both men and women, the age-adjusted mean high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level linearly increased. There was a significantly decreasing trend in the age-adjusted mean triglycerides in women and age-adjusted mean lipid-related ratios in both sexes. The age-adjusted mean total cholesterol level showed a slightly increasing trend and the age-adjusted mean low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level was not changed in both sexes. These patterns persisted among subjects not taking lipid-lowering medication. The favorable trends were also observed in subjects with hypertension, diabetes and obesity.
Conclusions: Our study showed favorable trends in the prevalence of dyslipidemia and in several lipid profiles among Korean adults.
Keywords: cardiovascular risk; cholesterol; dyslipidemia; lipid; lipoprotein; trends.
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