title: Comparison of cardiovascular risk factors in different areas of health care over a 20-year period.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death worldwide. Knowledge about cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) in young adults and their modification over time are measures that change the risks and prevent CVDs.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the presence of CVRFs and their changes in different health care professionals over a period of 20 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  All students of medicine, nursing, nutrition, odontology, and pharmacy departments of Federal University of Goiás who agreed to participate in this study were evaluated when they started their degree courses and 20 years afterward. Questionnaires on CVRFs [systemic arterial hypertension (SAH), diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, and family history of early CVD, smoking, alcohol consumption, and sedentarism] were administered. Cholesterol levels, blood sugar levels, blood pressure, weight, height, and body mass index were determined. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used to evaluate distribution, the chi-square test was used to compare different courses and sexes, and the McNemar test was used for comparing CVRFs. The significance level was set at a p value of < 0.05.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The first stage of the study included 281 individuals (91% of all the students), of which 62.9% were women; the mean age was 19.7 years. In the second stage, 215 subjects were reassessed (76% of the initial sample), of which 59.07% were women; the mean age was 39.8 years. The sample mostly consisted of medical students (with a predominance of men), followed by nursing, nutrition, and pharmacy students, with a predominance of women (p < 0.05). Excessive weight gain, SAH, and dyslipidemia were observed among physicians and dentists (p < 0.05). Excessive weight gain and SAH and a reduction in sedentarism (p < 0.05) were observed among pharmacists. Among nurses there was an increase in excessive weight and alcohol consumption (p < 0.05). Finally, nutritionists showed an increase in dyslipidemia (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In general, there was an unfavorable progression of CVRFs in the population under study, despite it having adequate specialized knowledge about these risk factors.
authors.affiliation: Liga de Hipertensão Arterial, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brazil.
authors.forename: Thiago Veiga
authors.initials: TV
authors.lastname: Jardim
authors.affiliation: Liga de Hipertensão Arterial, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Luiza Lima
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Sousa
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Educação Física, Universidade Estadual de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brazil.
authors.forename: Thais Rolim
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Povoa
authors.affiliation: Liga de Hipertensão Arterial, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brazil.
authors.forename: Weimar Sebba
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Barroso
authors.affiliation: Liga de Hipertensão Arterial, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brazil.
authors.forename: Brunela
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chinem
authors.affiliation: Liga de Hipertensão Arterial, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brazil.
authors.forename: Paulo Cesar Veiga
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Jardim
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D050177:Overweight / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D017678:Sex Distribution; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult