COMMUNITY-BASED EPIDEMIOLOGIC-STUDY ON SERUM-LIPID PROFILES AND THEIRIMPACT ON OTHER ATHEROSCLEROTIC CARDIOVASCULAR RISK-FACTORS

The chronic noncommunicable diseases represent a greater proportion of morbidity as well as mortality, because of rapid modernization and th e lengthened average span of life. Chronic metabolic disturbances, suc h as dyslipidemia, non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, hypertensi on, and obesity are commonly associated with each other and have been known as important risk factors for cardiovascular mortality. The pres ent study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of dyslipidemia a nd to find out the possible impact of serum lipid profiles on other ca rdiovascular risk factors in Yonchon County, Korea. Population-based c ross-sectional study by random cluster sampling of registered resident s >30 years of age was performed. Out of the 3,804 subjects scheduled for the survey, 2,520 underwent the actual examination. The prevalence of hypercholesterolemia (serum cholesterol greater than or equal to 6 .2 mmol/L) was only 1.2%, whereas that of hypertriglyceridemia (serum triglyceride greater than or equal to 2.8 mmmol/L) was as high as 11.3 %. The serum levels of cholesterol, triglyceride, and HDL cholesterol correlated with anthropometric indices, body mass indices, and waist/h ip Patios. The prevalences of diabetes and/or hypertension increased a s either serum cholesterol or triglyceride level increased. In additio n, the prevalence rates of obesity, impaired glucose tolerance, hypert riglyceridemia, and hypercholesterolemia in its isolated form (free of the others) were much lower than overall prevalence, indicating an ex istence of major overlap among these cardiovascular atherosclerotic ri sk factors in the form of multiple combinations. We found that central obesity is an independent associated factor for the aggregation of th e conditions related to the increase in cardiovascular risks. The prev alence of hypercholesterolemia in Yonchon County was substantially low er than that previously reported, although that of hypertriglyceridemi a was very high. We could also observe a varying degree of transition in cardiovascular risk related to central obesity from the rural to th e urban area with rapid emergence of noncommunicable diseases as a res ult of modernization.