2024 Cardio-cerebrovascular disease fact sheet in Korea

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the second most common cause of death in Korea. We investigated the incidence rate of CVD in the Korean adult population using the Korean National Health Insurance Service database.Methods: This cohort included individuals aged 20 years and older who participated in the National Health Screening Program in 2012, and longitudinal follow-up data were collected through December 2022. The incidence of CVD, myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, and cardiovascular mortality was evaluated. The incidence of CVD in relation to key cardiovascular risk factors was also analyzed.Results: A total of 4,737,616 participants were included in the final analysis. The mean age was 47.9 years, with a slight male predominance (54.1%). Older age, male sex, and current smoking were consistently associated with higher risk across all CVD outcomes. The overall adjusted incidence rate was 288.9 per 100,000 person-years for CVD. The 1.6-fold higher incidence of CVD in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus, 1.5-fold higher incidence in those with hypertension, and 1.4-fold in those with metabolic syndrome clearly demonstrate the cumulative risk conferred by these comorbidities. The most pronounced increase in cardiovascular mortality was observed in individuals with chronic kidney disease, reaching a 2.0-fold higher rate.Conclusions: CVD and its comorbidities in the Korean adult population represent a significant health burden. Prompt and aggressive lifestyle modification and management of risk factors should be actively emphasized.