Pilot study of classical cardiovascular risk factors in a rural community from San Diego, Venezuela

Cardiovascular diseases represent a public health problem in both developed and undeveloped countries. These illnesses, although they have been more associated with urban populations, have shown an increase in rural communities. For this, the objective of this research was to make a preliminary diagnosis of classical cardiovascular risk factors in a rural community from San Diego, Venezuela. 185 people who were determined weight, height, waist circumference, blood pressure, blood glucose and lipid profile were evaluated. A survey to assess family history of cardiovascular disease and lifestyle was applied. High frequency of sedentary lifestyle and low HDL cholesterol (90%, CI=86,0-94,6), overweight/obesity (69%, CI=62,5-75,9), abdominal obesity (47%, CI=39,3-53,7) and hypertriglyceridemia (32%, CI=25,2-38,6) was obtained. The frequency of metabolic syndrome was between 41-45%. These results could guide the design of preventive strategies based on the promotion of physical activity and heart healthy diet as a basis for addressing cardiovascular health problems from this rural community.