Distribution of LDL-Cholesterol Levels and Their Associations With Cardiovascular Outcomes in Young Adults Under 40 Years in South Korea: A Nationwide Cohort Study
Nationwide cohort study examines LDL-C levels and cardiovascular risks in young adults, highlighting significant associations with MI and stroke.
Key Points
This study aims to examine the distribution of LDL-C levels and assess their association with cardiovascular events in young adults.
Nationwide, population-based cohort study of adults aged 20-39 years from the Korean National Health Insurance Service database (n=6,458,006).
Health examinations were conducted between 2009 and 2012, and outcomes were evaluated over a median follow-up of 12.6 years.
Hazards of myocardial infarction and stroke were analyzed across different LDL-C concentration categories.
A total of 47,107 myocardial infarctions and 28,536 strokes occurred during follow-up.
The hazard of cardiovascular outcomes displayed a J-shaped relationship with LDL-C, peaking above 130 mg/dL, with the highest risk at 160 mg/dL.
Heightened risks were observed especially in individuals with abdominal obesity, smokers, and those with higher BMI, low HDL-C, and hypertriglyceridemia.