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. 2021 Jan;45(1):1-10.
doi: 10.4093/dmj.2020.0254. Epub 2021 Jan 13.

Diabetes Fact Sheets in Korea, 2020: An Appraisal of Current Status

Chan-Hee Jung  1 , Jang Won Son  2 , Shinae Kang  3 , Won Jun Kim  4 , Hun-Sung Kim  5 , Hae Soon Kim  6 , Mihae Seo  7 , Hye-Jung Shin  8 , Seong-Su Lee  2 , Su Jin Jeong  9 , Yongin Cho  10 , Seung Jin Han  11 , Hyang Mi Jang  12 , Mira Rho  13 , Shinbi Lee  14 , Mihyun Koo  15 , Been Yoo  16 , Jung-Wha Moon  17 , Hye Young Lee  18 , Jae-Seung Yun  19 , Sun Young Kim  20 , Sung Rae Kim  2 , In-Kyung Jeong  21 , Ji-Oh Mok  1 , Kun Ho Yoon  22
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Diabetes Fact Sheets in Korea, 2020: An Appraisal of Current Status

Chan-Hee Jung et al. Diabetes Metab J. 2021 Jan.

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to investigate the recent prevalence, management, and comorbidities of diabetes among Korean adults aged ≥30 years by analyzing nationally representative data.

Methods: This study used data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2016 to 2018, and the percentage and total number of people ≥30 years of age with diabetes and impaired fasting glucose (IFG) were estimated.

Results: In 2018, 13.8% of Korean adults aged ≥30 years had diabetes, and adults aged ≥65 years showed a prevalence rate of 28%. The prevalence of IFG was 26.9% in adults aged ≥30 years. From 2016 to 2018, 35% of the subjects with diabetes were not aware of their condition. Regarding comorbidities, 53.2% and 61.3% were obese and hypertensive, respectively, and 72% had hypercholesterolemia as defined by low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) ≥100 mg/dL in people with diabetes. Of the subjects with diabetes, 43.7% had both hypertension and hypercholesterolemia. With regard to glycemic control, only 28.3% reached the target level of <6.5%. Moreover, only 11.5% of subjects with diabetes met all three targets of glycosylated hemoglobin, blood pressure, and LDL-C. The percentage of energy intake from carbohydrates was higher in diabetes patients than in those without diabetes, while that from protein and fat was lower in subjects with diabetes.

Conclusion: The high prevalence and low control rate of diabetes and its comorbidities in Korean adults were confirmed. More stringent efforts are needed to improve the comprehensive management of diabetes to reduce diabetes-related morbidity and mortality.

Keywords: Comorbidity; Diabetes mellitus; Hypercholesterolemia; Hypertension; Prediabetic state; Prevalence.

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Conflict of interest statement

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Estimated proportion of adults with diabetes according to (A) body mass index (kg/m2) and (B) abdominal obesity. Values are presented as percentage.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
(A) Total caloric intake and (B) excess caloric intake among people with diabetes, diagnosed diabetes, and without diabetes mellitus (DM).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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