The risk groups for coronary heart disease in Koreans. Assessment by distribution of serum lipid concentrations

Coronary heart disease is the most severe form of disease caused by atheros clerosis; and there is a strong relationship between serum lipid concentrat ions and atherosclerosis. By decade of life, means, standard deviations and selected percentiles were calculated according to sex for serum concentrat ions of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), hig h-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and triglyceride in 69,563 Korean s. The prevalence of dyslipoproteinemias which were related to high risk of coronary heart disease were assessed. The mean concentrations of serum tot al cholesterol and LDL-C in the Korean population were 5.02 mmol/l and 3.00 mmol/l. The 75th and 90th percentile concentrations of total cholesterol w ere 5.59 mmol/l and 6.24 mmol/l. The mean concentrations of serum triglycer ide and HDL-C were 1.58 mmol/l and 1.30 mmol/l. The hyperlipoproteinemia ty pe IV (4.8%) was the most frequent, followed by Type IIa (4.6%), hypoalphal ipoproteinemia (3.3%), and type IIb (0.2%). According to the National Chole sterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel II, 4.1% of Korean adults ne eded the initial drug therapy and 10.8% the initial dietary therapy for hyp ercholesterolemia. The age and sex-specific treatment guidelines for hyperc holesterolemia would make it possible that early intervention could be appl ied to atherosclerosis in Korean adults.