Abstract

Cardiovascular disease is very prevalent in Korea, and many risk factors, if properly identified are possibly corrected. However, the study results on prevalence and distribution of risk factors may not be reliable while the risk factors of disease are always issued on health promotion projects conducted recently in a community. The subjects of this study were 854 adults who participated in the health and nutrition survey in a community. They were aged between 20 and 69 and sampled representatively. This study intended to estimate the prevalence and the distribution of risk factors of cardiovascular disease such as hypertention, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, and obesity. Systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure levels were estimated at 123.9+/-2.2mgHg(men), 117.9+/-1.7mgHg(women), and 80.4+/-1.5mg(men), 74.9+/-1.1mgHg(women), respectively. Glucose level was estimated at 99.1+/-2.3mg/dl in men, and 95.7+/-1.7mg/dl in women. The estimated level of total cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol were 183.4+/-3.8mg/dl(men), 181.7+/-3.1mg/dl(men), and 122.0+/-4.5mg/dl (women), and body mass index was estimated at 24.0+/-0.4kg/m2 in men and 23.9+/-0.4kg/m2 in men and 23.9+/-0.3kg/m2 in women. The prevalence of hypertension was 20.5% for men, and 14.4% for women. The prevalence of diabetes mellitus was estimated to 6.9% for men, and 6.1% for women. The estimated prevalence of hypercholesterolemia was 3.8%(men), 3.9%(women). The rate of obesity was estimated to 28.5%(men), 28.4% (women), respectively. The levels of blood pressure, glucose, and cholesterol were higher in men than in women in almost all the almost ate groups. The prevalence of hypertension for men is about 20%. It was found that the prevalence of diabetes mellitus for males aged between 40 and 59 was rapidly increased. The risk factor with highest prevalence was obesity, and hypertension and diabetes mellitus were the second and third most prevalent.

• Keywords: cardiovascular risk factor; hypertension; diabetes mellitus; hypercholesterolemia; obesity; prevalence; epidemiology