Six hundred eighty seven cases of cerebrovascular disease, confirmed by C-T scan, were evaluated at Hanyang University Hospital from January 1985, to December 1988, and the following results were obtained. 1) The incidence of cerebral infarction was markedly increased in the last 5 years. 2) Cerebral hemorrhage showed a peak age of incidence in the fifties, cerebral infarction in the sixties. 3) Among the preceding diseases at the onset of cerebrovascular disease, hypertension was the most common. 4) Total lipid, Total-cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol ratio were significantly higher in cerebral infarction than in cerebral hemorrhage. 5) Triglyceride concentration and total cholesterol concentration were also higher in cerebral infarction than those of cerebral hemorrhage, but statistically not significant. 6) In cerebral infarction HDL-cholesterol concentration was significantly lower than that of cerebral hemorrhage. (p less than 0.01.) 7) In cerebral infarction, hematocrit and hemoglobin concentration were significantly higher, respectively, than those of cerebral hemorrhage.
Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Cerebral Hemorrhage/*epidemiology/mortality ; Cerebral Infarction/*epidemiology/mortality ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea/epidemiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Risk Factors ; Sex Factors

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Cerebrovascular disease is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in Korea. Understanding of cerebrovascular disease mortality trends is important to reduce the health burden from cerebrovascular diseases. We examined the changing pattern of mortality related to cerebrovascular disease in Korea over 30 years from 1983 to 2012. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Numbers of deaths from cerebrovascular disease, hemorrhagic stroke, and cerebral infarction were obtained from the national Cause of Death Statistics. Crude and age-adjusted mortality rates were calculated for men and women for each year. Penalized B-spline methods, which reduce bias and variability in curve fitting, were used to identify the trends of 30-year mortality and identify the year of highest mortality. RESULTS: During the 30 years, cerebrovascular disease mortality has markedly declined. The age-adjusted cerebrovascular disease mortality rate has decreased by 78% in men and by 68% in women. In the case of hemorrhagic stroke, crude mortality peaked in 2001 but age-adjusted mortality peaked in 1994. Between 1994 and 2012, age-adjusted mortality from hemorrhagic stroke has decreased by 68% in men and 59% in women. In the case of cerebral infarction, crude and age-adjusted mortality rates steeply increased until 2004 and 2003, respectively, and both rates decreased rapidly thereafter. CONCLUSION: Cerebrovascular disease mortality rate has significantly decreased over the last 30 years in Korea, but remains a health burden. The prevalence of major cardiovascular risk factors are still highly prevalent in Korea.
Bias (Epidemiology) ; Cause of Death ; Cerebral Infarction ; Cerebrovascular Disorders* ; Female ; Humans ; Korea* ; Male ; Mortality* ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Stroke