Endocrinol Metab.  2022 Apr;37(2):261-271. 10.3803/EnM.2021.1259.

Association of High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Phenotypes with the Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases and Mortality: A Cohort Study in Korea

• Nam GE
• Huh Y
• Jung JH
• Han K
• Kim SM
• on Behalf of the Taskforce Team of the Obesity Fact Sheet of the Korean Society for the Study of Obesity

• KMID: 2529218
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3803/EnM.2021.1259

Abstract

Background
We investigated whether low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and isolated and non-isolated low HDL-C levels are associated with the risk of cardiovascular diseases and all-cause mortality among Korean adults.
Methods
We included 8,665,841 individuals aged ≥20 years who had undergone a health examination provided by the Korean National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) in 2009 and were followed up until the end of 2018. The hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for study outcomes were calculated using multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression analysis.
Results
During the 8.2 years of mean follow-up, myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, and all-cause mortality occurred in 81,431, 110,996, and 244,309 individuals, respectively. After adjusting for confounding variables (model 3), individuals with low HDL-C and lower HDL quartiles were associated with significantly increased risks of all three outcomes, compared to those with normal HDL-C and highest HDL-C quartile (all P<0.001), respectively. HRs for incident MI (1.28; 95% CI, 1.26 to 1.30), stroke (1.13; 95% CI, 1.11 to 1.15), and all-cause mortality (1.07; 95% CI, 1.05 to 1.08) increased in the non-isolated low HDL-C group compared to the normal HDL-C group. Isolated low HDL-C also showed an increase in the HRs of incident stroke (1.06; 95% CI, 1.04 to 1.08) and all-cause mortality (1.30; 95% CI, 1.28 to 1.32).
Conclusion
Low HDL-C and non-isolated low HDL-C were associated with increased risk of MI, stroke, and all-cause mortality, and isolated low HDL-C was associated with incident stroke and all-cause mortality risk.

Keyword

Low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol; Non-isolated low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol; Isolated low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol; Myocardial infarction; Stroke; Mortality

Figure

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  Fig. 1. Incidence probabilities of study outcomes by high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) categories (all log-rank P<0.001). (A) Myocardial infarction. (B) Stroke. (C) All-cause mortality

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