Major cardiovascular risk factors in Latin America: a comparison with the United States. The Latin American Consortium of Studies in Obesity (LASO).
BACKGROUND
Limited knowledge on the prevalence and distribution of risk factors impairs the planning and implementation of cardiovascular prevention programs in the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region.


RESULTS
Prevalence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, abnormal lipoprotein levels, obesity, and smoking were estimated from individual-level patient data pooled from population-based surveys (1998-2007, n=31,009) from eight LAC countries and from a national survey of the United States (US) population (1999-2004) Age and gender specific prevalence were estimated and age-gender adjusted comparisons between both populations were conducted. Prevalence of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and low high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol in LAC were 5% (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 3.4, 7.9), 20.2% (95% CI: 12.5, 31), and 53.3% (95% CI: 47, 63.4), respectively. Compared to LAC region's average, the prevalence of each risk factor tended to be lower in Peru and higher in Chile. LAC women had higher prevalence of obesity and low HDL-cholesterol than men. Obesity, hypercholesterolemia, and hypertriglyceridemia were more prevalent in the US population than in LAC population (31 vs. 16.1%, 16.8 vs. 8.9%, and 36.2 vs. 26.5%, respectively). However, the prevalence of low HDL-cholesterol was higher in LAC than in the US (53.3 vs. 33.7%).


CONCLUSIONS
Major cardiovascular risk factors are highly prevalent in LAC region, in particular low HDL-cholesterol. In addition, marked differences do exist in this prevalence profile between LAC and the US. The observed patterns of obesity-related risk factors and their current and future impact on the burden of cardiovascular diseases remain to be explained.
CRONICAS Center of Excellence in Chronic Diseases, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru. Jaime.Miranda@upch.pe
J Jaime
JJ
Miranda
Victor M
VM
Herrera
Julio A
JA
Chirinos
Luis F
LF
Gómez
Pablo
P
Perel
Rafael
R
Pichardo
Angel
A
González
José R
JR
Sánchez
Catterina
C
Ferreccio
Ximena
X
Aguilera
Eglé
E
Silva
Myriam
M
Oróstegui
Josefina
J
Medina-Lezama
Cynthia M
CM
Pérez
Erick
E
Suárez
Ana P
AP
Ortiz
Luis
L
Rosero
Noberto
N
Schapochnik
Zulma
Z
Ortiz
Daniel
D
Ferrante
Juan P
JP
Casas
Leonelo E
LE
Bautista
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001118:Argentina / Q000453:epidemiology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002677:Chile / Q000453:epidemiology; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D003105:Colombia / Q000453:epidemiology; D003364:Costa Rica / Q000453:epidemiology; D004293:Dominican Republic / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010568:Peru / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011647:Puerto Rico / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014687:Venezuela / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol