The Korean heart study: Rationale, objectives, protocol, and preliminary results for a new prospective cohort study of 430,920 men and women

Sun Ha Jee, G. David Batty, Yangsoo Jang, Dong Joo Oh, Byung Hee Oh, Sang Hoon Lee, Seong Wook Park, Ki Bae Seung, Heejin Kimm, Sang Yeun Kim, Yejin Mok, Hyon Suk Kim, Duk Chul Lee, Sung Hee Choi, Moon Jong Kim, Gyu Jang Lee, Jidong Sung, Belong Cho, Eung Soo Kim, Byung Yeon YuTae Yong Lee, Jong Sung Kim, Yong Jin Lee, Jang Kyun Oh, Sung Hi Kim, Jong Ku Park, Sang Baek Koh, Sat Byul Park, Soon Young Lee, Cheol In Yoo, Moon Chan Kim, Hong Kyu Kim, Joo Sung Park, Young Duk Yun, Soo Jin Baek, Jonathan M. Samet, Mark Woodward

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

29 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: To describe the rationale, objectives, protocol, and preliminary results for a new prospective cohort study of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in South Korea.

Methods: Study members were recruited from participants in routine health assessments at health promotion centres across South Korea. Established and emerging CVD risk factors were measured. Eighteen centres holding electronic health records agreed to linkage of participants' records to future health insurance claims for monitoring of disease events. The recruitment of 430,920 participants (266,782 men, 164,138 women), aged 3074 years, provides broad geographical reach across South Korea.

Results: Risk factor prevalence was more favourable in women than men, and, in general, in the younger rather than older study members. There was also close similarity between the characteristics of the present sample and the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The expected associations between risk factors and both CVD and death were also apparent.

Conclusions: Data from the present sample, based on data linkage, show close agreement with South Korea-wide surveys (for risk factor prevalence) and the extant literature (for risk factor associations). These findings gives confidence in future results anticipated from this cohort study of east Asians-A group that has been traditionally under-researched.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1484-1492
Number of pages9
JournalEuropean Journal of Preventive Cardiology
Volume21
Issue number12
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 24 2014

Keywords

  • Cardiovascular disease
  • cohort study
  • prevalence
  • risk factor

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Epidemiology
  • Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine

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