Key result
The crude incidence rate of infective endocarditis in South Korea significantly increased from 7.24 per 1,000,000 person-years in 2003 to 17.47 in 2018.
Why the study?
Infective endocarditis is a life-threatening disease whose profile varies across countries, prompting an assessment of its epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and outcomes in South Korea.
Cohort (n=8,487)
Infective endocarditis in South Korea has shown an increasing incidence and in-hospital mortality rate over a 16-year period, with a rising proportion of prosthetic valve and device-related cases.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Rising IE incidence in Korea may warrant surveillance in prosthetic/device patients; leaves open drivers of trends without causal inference.
BACKGROUND: Infective endocarditis (IE) is a life-threatening disease, the profile of which varies across countries. This nationwide cohort study aimed to assess the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and outcomes of IE. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with IE between 2003 and 2018 were included in this study based on data from the National Health Insurance System of South Korea. The patients' baseline characteristics, treatment modalities, and survival outcomes were analyzed. The incidence and in-hospital mortality rates were calculated and adjusted for age. RESULTS: A total of 8,487 IE cases were included: 6,617 (78.0%), 1,678 (19.8%), and 192 (2.3%) cases of native valve IE, prosthetic valve IE, and cardiac device-related IE (CDRIE), respectively. The incidence rate (per 1,000,000) of IE increased from 7.24 in 2003 to 17.47 in 2018. Furthermore, the in-hospital mortality rate for IE (per 1,000,000 person-years) increased from 0.59 in 2003 to 2.76 in 2018. The proportions of prosthetic valve IE and CDRIE cases increased over time, whereas that of native valve IE cases decreased. The number of surgeries for IE showed a consistent upward trend, with a notable increase occurring from 2014 onward. CONCLUSION: IE is a health burden with an increasing incidence and high mortality rates. Understanding the epidemiology and characteristics of IE is crucial to establish future treatment strategies.
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Ha et al. (2025) conducted a cohort in Infective endocarditis (n=8,487). Calendar year (2003 to 2018) vs. 2003 (baseline year) was evaluated on Crude incidence rate of infective endocarditis per 1,000,000 person-years (p=<0.001). The crude incidence rate of infective endocarditis in South Korea significantly increased from 7.24 per 1,000,000 person-years in 2003 to 17.47 in 2018.
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