Background
: Ischemic heart diseases have increased by more than 80% in the past 10 years among Korean and the global risk assessment of coronary heart disease(CHD) based on the relative risk factors to the probability of developing CHD became widely used for western populations. In this study we hope to provide information on the distribution and characteristics of the relative risks of CHD using the Framingham risk score.

Methods : This study involved the subjects who visited a university hospital for health promotion from 1995 to 2000 without CHD. We surveyed medical history of the subjects, and measured their blood pressure, serum glucose, total cholesterol(total-C) and HDL-cholesterol(HDL-C). Risk points from the Framingham chart were given to age, systolic BP, total-C, HDL-C, smoking, diabetes, and the global risk score was calculated from their sum. We analyzed the global risk scores and each risk points of the high risk groups.

Results : For younger and older men in the high risk group, the factors smoking and high blood pressure had the highest score assigned respectively. With younger women total-C had the highest score assigned, and with older women diabetes took over but HDL-C and high blood pressure still had a higher score.

Conclusion : For primary prevention of CHD, younger men need active education to quit smoking and for older aggressive blood pressure control is desperately needed. For women, concern about low HDL-C is highly needed and after menopause aggressive treatment for diabetes, high blood pressure, low HDL-C is needed.