Effect of Adding Apolipoprotein B Testing on the Prevalence of Dyslipidemia and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in the Korean Adult Population

Abstract

Traditional lipid parameters—including total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and non-HDL-C (calculated as TC minus HDL-C)—have long been used as indicators of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. The laboratory records of 9604 Korean adults who underwent traditional lipid panel tests (TC, TG, and HDL), as well as ApoB testing, were analyzed to evaluate the prevalence of dyslipidemia and high CVD risk (utilizing the NCEP ATP III criteria for traditional lipid panels and various ApoB test cutoffs recommended by international guidelines (145 mg/dL, 130 mg/dL, and 100 mg/dL)). The overall prevalence of dyslipidemia, as determined by traditional lipid panel criteria, was 27.4%. Utilizing the ApoB cutoffs of 145 mg/dL, 130 mg/dL, and 100 mg/dL resulted in prevalence figures of 5.3%, 11.0%, and 36.3%, respectively. The concordance in dyslipidemia classification between traditional lipid tests and ApoB at cutoffs of 145 mg/dL, 130 mg/dL, and 100 mg/dL was 78.4%, 81.3%, and 74.7%, respectively. Up to 17.5% of participants, based on an ApoB cutoff of ≥100 mg/dL, exhibited isolated high ApoB in the absence of traditional lipid test anomalies. Incorporating ApoB testing could enhance the identification of Koreans at high CVD risk.