"Blood vessels age from a young age"... Why cholesterol control matters [Health Prescription]

\r\n
[The Financial News] It is already common knowledge that cardiovascular disease and hyperlipidemia are closely linked. The real question is how dangerous it is. There is a wider gap than many people expect between knowing something in general and confronting it in numbers.
Statistics Korea's 2020 cause-of-death data show just how wide that gap is. Deaths from heart disease accounted for 10.6% of all deaths, ranking second after malignant neoplasms. The mortality rate, measured per 100,000 people, also rose sharply over the past decade, from 46.9 in 2010 to 63.0 in 2020. If the scope is expanded to all circulatory diseases, including heart disease, cerebrovascular disease and hypertensive disease, the mortality rate reaches 121.1. These are numbers that should not be taken lightly.
The trend in hyperlipidemia prevalence is even more noteworthy. According to the 2020 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), the prevalence of high cholesterol in men rose from 6.1% in 2005 to 20.2% in 2020, while the rate for women increased from 6.8% to 18.8% over the same period. That is a steep rise in just 15 years. The fact that awareness (62.9%) and treatment rates (55.1%) are also improving is a positive sign, but it also means many patients still do not know their condition or are delaying treatment.
In particular, the prevalence of hyperlipidemia among patients with diabetes stands at 69.2%, nearly twice the rate among those without diabetes (36.8%). If the LDL cholesterol threshold is set at 100 or higher, the prevalence among diabetic patients jumps to 86.4%. Even so, cholesterol control among diabetic patients remains at just 53.3%. In other words, the risk is high, but management is only halfway there.
Cholesterol targets also vary depending on a patient's condition. The Korean Society of Lipid and Atherosclerosis (KSoLA) classifies total cholesterol of 240 or higher and LDL cholesterol of 160 or higher as high. However, patients at very high risk with coronary artery disease (CAD) should aim for LDL below 55, while those at high risk, including patients with ischemic stroke and peripheral artery disease (PAD), should target below 70. These standards are completely different from those applied to the general population. For patients who have already experienced cardiovascular disease, cholesterol management is not optional; it is part of treatment.
LDL cholesterol continues to affect blood vessels regardless of age. That is why cholesterol control should begin at a young age. Lower LDL levels can slow the progression of plaque in blood vessels and ultimately delay the onset of cardio-cerebrovascular disease.
Blood vessels do not deteriorate overnight. They gradually narrow and harden over decades. During that long period, cholesterol quietly but constantly builds up on the vessel walls. That is why the comfort of thinking, "I'm still young," may be the most dangerous illusion of all.
/Jang Deok-hyeon, Head of Cardiology, Bucheon Sejong Hospital  
pompom@fnnews.com Jung Myung-jin, Medical Writer Reporter