title: [Presentation of the "CDC de Canarias" cohort: objectives, design and preliminary results].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Canary Islands rank first in Spain with respect to the ischaemic heart disease and diabetes mortality rates. The Islands female population leads the country in deaths from breast cancer. The "CDC de Canarias" is a general population cohort study in order to analyse the prevalence and incidence of these diseases and the exposure to their risk factors (RF) in the adult population of the archipelago.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective study with a random sampling of the general population, in which 6,729 individuals participated between 2000 and 2005 (aged 18-75). Anthropometric measurements were taken, and blood was drawn for the storage of serum and genetic samples. The following information was gathered through a questionnaire: eating habits, physical activity, personal and family medical history, exposure to occupational or environmental risk factors, smoking, etc.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of obesity is close to 30%, without differences between sexes, however, more male subjects were overweight than women (45 vs. 33%; p <0.001) and also presented a greater prevalence of diabetes (12 vs. 10%; p =0.005), high blood pressure (43 vs. 33%; p <0.001), excessive intake of alcohol (13 vs. 2%; p <0.001) and lack of sun protection (46 vs. 18%; p <0.001). Exposure to low levels of HDL cholesterol is more frequent in women (37 vs. 30%; p <0.001) as is also the case with a sedentary life style (71 vs. 55%; p <0.001). The exposure to the risk factors studied, including poverty, is greater in advanced age groups, except for smoking (26%) which is greater in the younger subjects. The estimate of relative risks of exposure to cardiovascular and cancer risk factors is higher in low-income social classes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The current adult population of the Canaries presents a high prevalence of exposure to risk factors for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer, among which overweight, obesity and lack of exercise stand out particularly.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Investigación, Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de La Candelaria, Tenerife.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cabrera de León
authors.forename: Ma del Cristo
authors.initials: Mdel C
authors.lastname: Rodríguez Pérez
authors.forename: Delia
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Almeida González
authors.forename: Santiago
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Domínguez Coello
authors.forename: Armando
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aguirre Jaime
authors.forename: Buenaventura
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Brito Díaz
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: González Hernández
authors.forename: Lina I
authors.initials: LI
authors.lastname: Pérez Méndez
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult