Epidemiological Study of Heart Disease in Korea: 5 Year Interval Change

ABSTRACT

In order to investigate the trend of prevalence of heart disease in Korea, statistical observation was made on 19,239 cases of medical in-patients who were treated in 3 general hospitals, Korea University Hospital, Seoul Red Cross Hospital and Seoul Adeventist Hospital, on 73,484 cases of medical out-patients who were seen at Korea University Hospital and Seoul Adventist Hospital during the period of 5 years, from 1972 through 1976, on 7,746 cases of medical in-patients during the period of 10 years (1967 through 1976), and on 50,083 cases of medical out-patients during the period of 15 years (1962 through 1976) who were treated in Korea University Hospital. The results obtained were as follows. 1. Heart disease was 5.5% (male 5.4%, female 5.7%) of medical out-patients and 16.1% (male 16.7%, female 15.5%) of medical in-patients. 2. The incidence of heart disease was increased with the increase of age in both out-patients and in-patients. The incidences of heart disease in out-patients by age group to the total out-patients of each age group were 1.8% in 15~40 year group, 10.2% in 41~60 year group and 18.4% in over 61 year group, and those in in-patients were 5.0% in 15~40 year group, 24.4% in 41~60 year group and 30.8% in over 61 year group. 3. The incidences of individual heart disease to 4,074 cases with heart disease (male 1,986, female 2,088) of out-patients were as follows. Rheumatic myocarditis was 0.5% (male 0.6%, female 0.5%), mitral valvular disease 8.3% (male 5.8%, female 10.6%), aortic valvular disease 3.1% (male 3.9%, female 2.2%), mitral and aortic valvular disease 0.7% (male 1.3%, female 0.7%), hyper tension 72.0% (male 72.8%, female 71.0%), myocardial infarction 0.7% (male 1.2%, female 0.2%), angina pectoris 2.2% (male 3.1%, female 1.4%), atherosclerotic heart failure 4.5% (male 4.8%, female 4.1%), pericarditis 0.4% (male 0.6%, female 0.3%), idiopathic myocardiopathy 0.5% (male 0.5%, female 0.6%), postpartum myocardiopathy 0.3% in female, cor pulmonale 0.3%(male 0.2%, female 0.4%) and congenital heart disease 1.4% (male 1.8%, female 1.1%). 4. Incidences of individual heart disease to total 3,091 cases with heart disease (male 1,573, female, 1,518) of in-patients were as follows. Rheumatic myocarditis was 0.4% (male 0.5%, female 0.3%), mitral valvular disease 8.1% (male 5.1%, female 11.2%), aortic valvular disease 1.1% (male 1.3%, female 0.8%), mitral and arotic valvular disease 0.3% (male 0.3% female 0.4%), hypertension 69.6% (male 71.3%, female 68.5%), myocardial infarction 2.8% (male 4.3%, female 1.4%), angina pectoris 1.7% (male 2.0%, female 1.3%), atherosclerotic heart failure 7.5%(male 7.7%, female 6.8%), pericarditis 0.8% (male 0.9%, female 0.8%), idiopathic myocardiopathy 1.3% (male 1.3%, female 1.3%), postpartum myocardiopathy 0.7% in female, cor pulmonale 1.5% (male 1.5%, female 1.6%) and congenital heart disease 0.5% (male 0.4%, female 0.5%). 5. There was no significant seasonal variation of the incidences of individual heart diseases. 6. The incidences of rheumatic valvular heart disease, coronary heart disease and congenital heart disease of medical out-putients of Korea University hospital by 5-year-period for 3 consecutive periods (1962 through 1976) were increased and those of hypertension and cor pulmonale were decreased. 7. The incidneces of coronary heart disease and idiopathic myocardiopathy of medical in-patients of Korea University Hospital by 5-year-period for 2 consecutive periods (1967 through 1976) were increased and those of rheumatic myocarditis, hypertension and postpartum myocardiopathy were decreased. There was no change in incidence of rheumatic heart disease including rheumatic myocarditis, and congenital heart disease. 8. The trend of increasing prevalence of coronary heart disease, especially angina pectoris, was noted. Although hypertension was decreased in relative incidence, the total number of patients with hypertension was increased. This seems to suggest that hypertension tends to increase.