Jee Hye Han

Prevalence of prehypertension and hypertension in a Korean population : Korean National Health and Nutrition Survey 2001

Objective The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of prehypertension and hypertension, and their association with the risk factors in a Korean population. Design The Korean Nation Health and Nutrition Survey 2001, a cross-sectional survey, was a nationally representative survey in which a stratified multistage sampling design was used. Methods Data from a comprehensive questionnaire, together with a physical examination and blood sample, were obtained from 6074 Korean adults (2620 men and 3454 women) aged ≥ 20 years, and analysed. Results The estimated age-adjusted prevalence of hypertension and prehypertension was 22.9% (26.9% in men, 20.5% in women) and 31.6% (41.9% in men, 25.9% in women), respectively, in the Korean population according to Joint National Committee 7 criteria. Multivariate analysis revealed that age, gender, body mass index, fasting plasma glucose, total-cholesterol and alcohol consumption were significantly associated with hypertension. Overall, only 30.2% of the hypertensive individuals had been previously diagnosed. Furthermore, 22.9% of the hypertensive individuals were being treated with antihypertensive medication, but only 10.7% had their blood pressure adequately controlled. The rates of awareness, treatment and control were higher for the women than for the men, and these rates increased with age. Conclusion Hypertension and prehypertension are common in Korea, and more than one-half of the hypertensive patients have not been diagnosed. These results place great emphasis on the urgent need for a public health program to improve the detection, prevention and treatment of hypertension and prehypertension.

Normal range albuminuria and metabolic syndrome in South Korea: The 2011-2012 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Background It is well-known that there is a close relationship between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and microalbuminuria. However, some recent studies have found that even normal range albuminuria was associated with MetS and cardiometabolic risk factors. The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship between MetS and normal range albuminuria and to calculate the cutoff value for albuminuria that correlates with MetS in the representative fraction of Korean population. Methods Data were obtained from the 2011–2012 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and included 9,650 subjects aged ≥19 years. We measured metabolic parameters: fasting blood glucose, waist circumference, blood pressure, and lipids, and albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR). The optimal ACR cutoff points for MetS were examined by the receiver operating characteristic curve. Multivariate logistic regression was used to obtain the prevalence of MetS and its components according to the ACR levels. Results The first cutoff value of ACR were 4.8 mg/g for subjects with ≥3 components of MetS. There was a graded association between ACR and prevalence of MetS and its components. If ACR was <4 mg/g, there was no significant increase in the prevalence of MetS or its components. From the ACR level of 4–5 mg/g, the prevalence of MetS significantly increased after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, smoking, alcohol intake, exercise, and medications for diabetes mellitus and hypertension (odds ratio; 95% confidence intervals = 1.416; 1.041–1.926). Conclusions Albuminuria within the normal range (around 5 mg/g) was associated with prevalence of MetS in the Korean population.