Prevalence and control of hypertension and albuminuria in South Korea: focus on obesity and abdominal obesity in the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2011-2012.

BACKGROUND: Albuminuria is associated with cardiovascular disease, and the relationship between albuminuria and hypertension is well established in many studies. So the control of hypertension is critical for decreasing cardiovascular events and albuminuria. Obesity and abdominal obesity are also associated with hypertension and albuminuria. Therefore, we analyzed the relationship between albuminuria and the prevalence and control of hypertension in the general Korean population according to obesity status. METHODS: We analyzed data from the 2011-2012 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, and 9,519 subjects were included. Subjects were divided into four groups: non-obese/normal waist circumference, non-obese/high waist circumference, obese/normal waist circumference, and obese/high waist circumference. RESULTS: Systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure were positively associated with albumin-creatinine ratio in all groups (all p values <0.005). Non-obese/normal waist circumference group were more likely to have hypertension (odds ratios [95% confidential intervals (CIs)] were 3.20 [2.21-4.63] in microalbuminuria level and 3.09 [1.05-9.14] in macroalbuminuria level), and less likely to have controlled hypertension (odds ratios