High blood pressure levels and cardiovascular risk among Munduruku indigenous people

Objective: to identify the risk factors associated with prehypertension and arterial hypertension among Munduruku indigenous people in the Brazilian Amazon. Method: a cross-sectional study carried out with 459 Munduruku indigenous people selected by means of stratified random sampling. Sociodemographic variables, habits and lifestyles, anthropometric data, fasting glucose and lipid profiles were evaluated. An automatic device calibrated and validated to measure blood pressure was used. The analyses of the data collected were carried out in the R software, version 3.5.1. For continuous variables, the Kruskall-Wallis test was used; for the categorical ones, Fischer’s Exact. The significance level was set at 5% and p-value≤0.05. Results: the prevalence of altered blood pressure levels was 10.2% for values suggestive of hypertension and 4.1% for pre-hypertension. The risk of prehypertension among indigenous people was associated with being male (OR=1.65; 95% CI=0.65-4.21) and having a substantially increased waist circumference (OR=7.82; 95% CI=1.80-34.04). Regarding the risk for arterial hypertension, it was associated with age (OR=1.09; 95% CI=1.06-1.12), with increased waist circumference (OR=3.89; 95% CI=1.43-10, 54) and with substantially increased waist circumference (OR=5.46; 95% CI=1.78-16.75). Conclusion: among Munduruku indigenous people, men were more vulnerable to developing hypertension; age and increased waist circumference proved to be strong cardiovascular risk factors. Objetivo: identificar los factores de riesgo asociados con la prehipertensión y la hipertensión arterial entre los indígenas Munduruku en la Amazonía brasileña. Método: estudio transversal realizado con 459 indígenas Munduruku seleccionados mediante muestreo aleatorio estratificado. Se evaluaron variables sociodemográficas, hábitos y estilos de vida, datos antropométricos, glucosa en ayunas y perfiles lipídicos. Se utilizó un dispositivo automático calibrado y validado para medir la presión arterial. Los análisis de los datos recopilados se llevaron a cabo mediante el software R versión 3.5.1. Para las variables continuas se utilizó la prueba de KruskalWallis; para las categóricas, Exacto de Fischer. El nivel de significancia se estableció en 5% y p≤0,05. Resultados: la prevalencia de niveles alterados de presión arterial fue del 10,2% para valores sugestivos de hipertensión y del 4,1% para prehipertensión. El riesgo de prehipertensión entre los indígenas se asoció al sexo mascu