Association between central obesity, triglycerides and hypertension in a rural area in Brazil.
BACKGROUND
Hypertension represents a serious public health problem and is one of the most frequent causes of morbidity around the world.


OBJECTIVE
To estimate the prevalence of hypertension and its risk factors in a rural community located in the north-eastern state of Minas Gerais, Brazil.


METHODS
A cross-sectional study was carried out in 2004 in the Virgem das Graças Village, a rural community located the Jequitinhonha Valley. The sample consisted of 287 males and females aged between 18 to 88 years. Hypertension was defined according to Joint National Committee criteria (systolic blood pressure > 140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure > 90 mmHg): subjects already receiving anti-hypertensive treatment were considered to be hypertensive. Bivariate analysis was performed to test the relationship between the independent variables and hypertension. Logistic regression was used to adjust for confounding and to identify interactions. The strength of association was measured using Odds Ratio (OR) and its 95% confidence intervals [CI (95%)].


RESULTS
The crude prevalence of hypertension was 47.0% [CI (95%): 41.1 - 53.0], the age-standardized prevalence was 43.2% [CI (95%): 35.7 - 50.7], while the schooling-standardized prevalence was 44.1% [CI (95%): 43.9 - 44.3]. Age, triglycerides, waist circumference and sex were found to be independent risk factors for hypertension according to multivariate analysis.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings provide important evidence concerning the hypertension as a public health problem and its association with dyslipidemia and abdominal obesity in the rural area of Minas Gerais.
Pimenta
Adriano Marçal
AM
Departamento de Enfermagem Materno-Infantil e Saúde Pública, Escola de Enfermagem, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG - Brasil.
Kac
Gilberto
G
Gazzinelli
Andrea
A
Corrêa-Oliveira
Rodrigo
R
Velásquez-Meléndez
Gustavo
G
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood*; D055105:Waist Circumference; D055815:Young Adult
D014280:Triglycerides