title: Trends and heterogeneity of cardiovascular disease and risk factors across Latin American and Caribbean countries.
abstract: Aging, globalization and urbanization in Latina America and the Caribbean (LAC) have made cardiovascular disease (CVD) the number one cause of death and disability, while communicable diseases have decreased. This epidemiological transition has been more heterogeneous than in other areas of the world. While countries like Argentina, Chile, Brazil and Colombia have seen a significant decrease in CVD mortality, the rest of the countries have seen an increase, particularly Central American and Caribbean countries. These latter countries have now coexisting high prevalence of communicable and non-communicable diseases, threatening the socioeconomic development. Recent multinational cross sectional studies have provided a better perspective of the prevalence and distribution of cardiovascular risk factors in the region. While there has been a decrease in prevalence of smoking in the region, obesity, diabetes and physical inactivity continue to increase the CVD disease burden in LAC.
authors.affiliation: INCAP Comprehensive Center for the Prevention of Chronic Diseases/Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama, Guatemala City, Guatemala.
authors.forename: Alvaro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rivera-Andrade
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA. Electronic address: maxluna@virginia.edu.
authors.forename: Max A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Luna
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000401:mortality; D017691:Caribbean Region / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D007843:Latin America / Q000453:epidemiology; D008019:Life Style / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Burden of disease; Cardiovascular disease; Global health; Latin America