title: Comparative study of risk factors related to cardiovascular disease in children from Bogotá, Colombia and Toluca, Mexico.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Currently, cardiovascular risk factors have not been studied so extensively in young people.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare the cardiovascular risk factor between Colombian and Mexican children.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a transversal, descriptive, comparative and clinical study. 30 children of primary school aged 6-12 from Bogotá, Colombia were matched by age with a sample of 30 children from Toluca, Mexico. Cardiovascular risk factors measured were Body Mass Index (BMI), serum lipid profile, glucose and homocystein (Hcy). Besides we applied the validated surveys formats for food (dietary history), physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire, IPAQ), alcohol consumption and smoking.
  
  
  RESULTS
  BMI was higher in Mexican children than in Colombian (20.43±3.35 vs 16.92±3.46) (p≤0.001). Among Mexican children, 20% (6) of them had blood glucose concentration greater than 100 mg/dl, 6.6% (2) had triglycerides greater than 200 mg/dl, 36.6% (11) had cholesterol levels greater than 170 mg/dl, 16% (53.3) had HDL lower than the recommended limits, and 60% (18) had LDL above the normal limit. For the Colombian population these percentages were of 0, 3.3, 46.6, 13.33 and 53.3 respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mexican children had a stronger correlation between BMI and atherogenic indices and less physical activity than Colombian. Of the 30 Mexican children enrolled in the study only 13% had none of the cardiovascular risk factors, while in the Colombian this percentage was of 33.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Latin American children are not metabolically homogeneous, Mexican children are at high risk of cardiovascular disease.
authors.forename: Lizeth Johana
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: González Devia
authors.forename: Paola Andrea
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Monroy Romero
authors.forename: Carmen Cecilia
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Almonacid Urrego
authors.forename: Olga Lucía
authors.initials: OL
authors.lastname: Orjuela
authors.forename: Myriam Judith
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Huérfano
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mendieta Zerón
mesh_terms: D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D002648:Child; D003105:Colombia; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico; D009043:Motor Activity; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D008055:Lipids; D006710:Homocysteine