title: Effects of age, sex, and menopausal status on blood cholesterol profile in the korean population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate age-specific and sex-specific distributions of blood cholesterol in the general Korean population.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed data for 8284 men and 9246 women aged ≥10 years who participated in the fifth (2010-2012) Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Age-specific means, medians, and selected percentiles were calculated for men, premenopausal women, and postmenopausal women.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median total cholesterol (TC) level increased with age across all age groups, from 147 to 196 mg/dL in males and from 159 to 210 mg/dL in females. Triglyceride (TG) levels increased with age in females; however, in males, TG levels rapidly increased during young adulthood, peaked at 50-54 years, and then decreased. High density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) levels were higher in females than in males and decreased with increasing age in both males and females. Low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) levels increased with age across all age groups, from 89 to 127 mg/dL in males and from 82 to 113 mg/dL in females. Lipoprotein-cholesterol fraction (TC/HDL-C, LDL-C/HDL-C, TG/HDL-C, non-HDL-C) levels increased with age in females, but increased more rapidly in males during young adulthood and decreased after middle age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Blood cholesterol levels and lipoprotein-cholesterol fractions present different distributions by age, sex, and menopausal status.
authors: Department of Public Health, Yonsei University Graduate School, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Ji Hye
authors: JH
authors: Park
authors: Department of Preventive Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Myung Ha
authors: MH
authors: Lee
authors: Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases Etiology Research Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Jee-Seon
authors: JS
authors: Shim
authors: Department of Public Health, Yonsei University Graduate School, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Dong Phil
authors: DP
authors: Choi
authors: Department of Public Health, Yonsei University Graduate School, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Bo Mi
authors: BM
authors: Song
authors: Department of Public Health, Yonsei University Graduate School, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Seung Won
authors: SW
authors: Lee
authors: Department of Public Health, Yonsei University Graduate School, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Hansol
authors: H
authors: Choi
authors: Department of Preventive Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. ; Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases Etiology Research Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Hyeon Chang
authors: HC
authors: Kim
keywords: Cholesterol; Epidemiology; High density lipoprotein-cholesterol; Low density lipoprotein-cholesterol; Triglycerides