Smoking and Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease in Men With Low Levels of Serum Cholesterol

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Abstract
Morbidity and mortality from ischemic heart disease (IHD) is rapidly escalating in economically developing countries, including those of East Asia. In the Republic of Korea (South Korea), atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) became the leading cause of death in the early 1990s, accounting for approximately 30% of all registered deaths.1,2 Of particular concern is the emerging epidemic of IHD in this country. Between 1981 and 1994, age-adjusted IHD mortality increased from 1.8 deaths per 100,000 person-years to 11.2 deaths per 100,000 person-years in Korean men and from 1.0 deaths per 100,000 person-years to 6.8 deaths per 100,000 person-years in Korean women.1 The escalating burden of IHD in Korea may be related to adverse changes in traditional ASCVD risk factors, particularly cigarette smoking.3