title: [Prevalence of obesity and cardiovascular risk in the general population of a health area in Extremadura (Spain): the Hermex study].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the prevalence of obesity and its associated cardiovascular risk in the general population of a health area in Extremadura.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study on a random population sample aged 25-79 years from the Don Benito-Villanueva (Badajoz) health area. Risk factors and cardiovascular disease were examined. Anthropometric and blood pressure measurements were collected, and a blood sample was taken. Obese subjects were categorized into different risk levels as proposed by the Spanish Society for the Study of Obesity, and the influence of obesity on estimation of the risk of ischemic heart disease was studied using the Framingham function, as adapted for Spain.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 2833 of the 3521 subjects screened (80.5%) participated in the study. Mean age was 51.2 years (SD 14.7), and 46.5% were males. Male subjects had a greater prevalence of overweight and obesity (46.2% and 37.7% respectively) as compared to females (37.7% and 32.6%) (p<0.005 and p<0.05 respectively). Only 10% of obese subjects had no increased cardiovascular risk. Obesity was associated to an 8-fold increase in the presence of a high risk for ischemic heart disease in females (p<0.001), as compared to a 1.4-fold increase in males (p=0.095).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Obesity is highly prevalent and affects, together with overweight, 74.1% of the population in an Extremadura health area. A vast majority of obese subjects have an increased cardiovascular risk, which is very marked for ischemic heart disease in females.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Salud Villanueva Norte, Servicio Extremeño de Salud. Villanueva de la Serena, Badajoz, España. felixredondofj@gmail.com
authors.forename: Francisco J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Félix-Redondo
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Baena-Díez
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grau
authors.forename: María Ángeles
authors.initials: MÁ
authors.lastname: Tormo
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fernández-Bergés
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000453:epidemiology; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000453:epidemiology; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000453:epidemiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D055105:Waist Circumference
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D005340:Fibrinogen