High-sensitivity C-reactive protein profiles differ between Korean and US adults with LDL cholesterol below 100 mg/dL
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Objectives
To compare high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) profiles in Korean and US adults with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) below 100 mg/dL and examine differences after adiposity adjustment.
Study design
Cross-sectional analysis of national health examination surveys.
Methods
We analysed the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2022–2024 (n=5,785) and US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey August 2021–August 2023 (n=1,056). Eligible adults had Sampson-calculated LDL-C <100 mg/dL and hsCRP ≤10 mg/L; elevated hsCRP was defined as 2–10 mg/L. We estimated survey-weighted prevalence differences and adjusted prevalence ratios (PRs).
Results
LDL-C distributions closely overlapped (weighted medians, 79.7 vs 80.1 mg/dL), whereas median hsCRP was 0.50 vs 1.34 mg/L. Elevated-hsCRP prevalence was 12.2% in Korea and 35.7% in the United States (difference, 23.5 percentage points; 95% CI, 19.4–27.7); the age–sex-standardised difference was 23.4 percentage points. Among 6,235 common complete cases, the age–sex-adjusted US-versus-Korea PR was 2.86 (95% CI, 2.48–3.30), decreasing to 1.66 (1.40–1.98) after waist circumference adjustment and 1.92 (1.62–2.26) after body mass index adjustment.
Conclusions
Similar LDL-C distributions coexisted with markedly different hsCRP profiles. Waist adjustment attenuated the between-country contrast more than BMI adjustment, supporting joint consideration of inflammatory, lipid and anthropometric measures in population surveillance.
