The Association of Self-Reported Coronary Heart Disease with Diabetes Duration in Korea

Background: This study aimed to investigate the association of diabetes duration with self-reported coronary heart disease (CHD) in Korea. Methods: Among data from 34,145 persons compiled in the third Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2005, laboratory test and nutritional survey data from 5,531 persons were examined. The participants were asked to recall a physician's diagnosis of CHD (angina or myocardial infarction). Results: Age-and sex-adjusted relative risk for CHD was 1.51 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.64 to 3.59; not significant) for diabetes with duration of < 1 year, 2.27 (95% CI, 1.14 to 4.54; P = 0.020) for diabetes with a duration of 1 to 5 years, and 3.29 (95% CI, 1.78 to 6.08; P < 0.001) for diabetes with a duration > 5 years, compared with non-diabetes as a control. Even after adjusting for age, sex, current smoking status, waist circumference, hypertension, triglycerides, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, and fasting plasma glucose, relative risk for CHD was 2.87 (95% CI, 1.01 to 8.11; P = 0.047) in diabetes with a duration of 6 to 10 years and 4.07 (95% CI, 1.73 to 9.63; P = 0.001) in diabetes with duration of > 10 years with non-diabetes as a control. Conclusion: CHD prevalence increased with an increase in diabetes duration in Korean men and women. Recently detected diabetes (duration < 1 year) was not significantly associated with CHD prevalence compared to non-diabetes. However, diabetes of a duration of > 5 years was associated with an increase in CHD compared to non-diabetics after adjusting for several CHD risk factors.