Cardiovascular risk factors in urban and rural communities from Tinaquillo, Venezuela

Objective To compare the frequency of major clinical, biochemical and anthropometric cardiovascular risk factors between a rural community and an urban community from Tinaquillo, Venezuela. Method 118 individuals older than 18 years (52 of the urban community and 66 of the rural community) were included; their weight, height, waist circumference, blood pressure, blood glucose and lipid profile were assessed. A survey to measure personal history of cardiovascular disease and lifestyle was applied. Results About 60 % of the individuals of the rural community were either obese or overweight; similar figures were obtained in the urban community with no statistically significant differences. Almost half of the participants had abdominal obesity, and also a significant frequency of individuals with low HDLc (greater than 70 %) was observed. It should be noted that although low percentages of hypertriglyceridemia were obtained, they were significantly higher in the rural community (chi-square=4.82, p=0.0281). The opposite occurs with the frequency of smoking, which is statistically higher in the urban community (chi-square=4.48, p=0.0342). Conclusions The results show a high prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in both communities. Consequently, health promotion programs should reach out to rural communities, as the risk of cardiovascular disease is similar to that of the urban community, who are equally prone to acquire unhealthy habits.