The Korean Society of Lipid and Atherosclerosis unveiled the current state of hypercholesterolemia in Korea and new clinical practice guidelines in Seoul on September 10.
Although prevalence and treatment rates have both increased, a considerable number of people still have not reached their target levels.
The key point is that the same level should not be applied to everyone; management targets differ according to disease and risk factors.
3-line summary
1. The prevalence of hypercholesterolemia is 30.3%
2. The control rate stood at just 58.9%
3. Shortening the screening interval has not yet been finalized
From 11.9% in 2010 to 30.3% in 2024
The Korean Society of Lipid and Atherosclerosis’ “2026 Dyslipidemia Fact Sheet” is based on statistics from 2024. The prevalence of hypercholesterolemia in Korea rose from 11.9% in 2010 to 30.3% in 2024. This means it became approximately 2.5 times higher over 14 years.
However, indicators for detecting and treating patients also improved. The awareness rate rose from 45.5% in 2010~2012 to 70.8% in 2022~2024, while the treatment rate increased from 35.8% to 64.8%. The control rate also rose from 28.6% to 58.9%, but viewed the other way around, this means that about 4 out of 10 people were not managed to target levels.
Differences according to age and comorbidities are also worth noting. The prevalence of hypercholesterolemia among women was 32.8%, higher than the 27.9% among men. The society stated that dyslipidemia showed a high prevalence among postmenopausal women and people with diabetes, hypertension, or obesity.
LDL below 55mg/dL is not everyone’s target
The new “2026 Clinical Practice Guidelines for Dyslipidemia” divides risk groups primarily according to conditions such as coronary artery disease, noncardiac vascular disease, and diabetes, and calls for using risk-enhancing factors when setting treatment targets. This framework means that even with the same cholesterol level, the assessment may differ depending on underlying diseases and risk factors.
The population for whom lowering LDL cholesterol to below 55mg/dL is recommended has also been expanded. This broadens the scope of application for patients at high risk of cardiovascular disease; it is not a target applied uniformly to everyone.
For drug treatment, statins are prescribed most frequently, and a growing trend was confirmed in the use of dual therapy combining a statin and ezetimibe. The guidelines also reflect that another medication may be added when a patient does not reach the target with a statin. The society recommends that patients not arbitrarily stop or change prescribed medications based only on online information, but consult their treating medical professionals.
The consultation fee for confirmatory testing has been waived, but screening is every 4 years
Under the 4th National Comprehensive Health Screening Plan, beginning in 2026, the patient copayment for the consultation fee during confirmatory testing for dyslipidemia was waived. This change reduces the burden incurred during the confirmatory process after a health screening.
By contrast, the current interval for dyslipidemia testing is 4 years. The proposal to shorten the interval to 2 years, which the society has been requesting, was not specifically reflected in the comprehensive plan. The society stated that it plans to continue discussions about shortening the interval based on an economic evaluation and additional analyses. Therefore, rather than understanding that “screening will soon change to every 2 years,” it is necessary to distinguish between the finalized system and the society’s request.
References
Tags #Cholesterol #Hypercholesterolemia #Dyslipidemia #LDLCholesterol #Statins #Ezetimibe #CholesterolTesting #NationalHealthScreening #CardiovascularDisease #PostmenopausalWomen #LipidManagement #Hyperlipidemia #HealthScreeningInterval