[Cardiovascular risk factors in a rural population of Castilla-La Mancha]

To describe the prevalence of the main cardiovascular risk factors in a rural population in Spain. The results are compared with the MONICA-OMS study.

A random sample n = 1330 aged 25 to 74. MONICA-OMS based methodology is used (questionnaire, lipid measurement using enzymatic method with external quality control, blood pressure with quality certification and antropometric measurements).

Prevalences obtained are: Hypercholesterolemia 14.4% males and 16.8% females; mean cholesterol (SD) 210.8 (39.8) males and 212.6 females; HDL-cholesterol 47.8 (10.9) males and 53 (11.3) females; hypertension (> or = 140 and/or 90 mmHg) 40.8% males and 42% females. Systolic/diastolic mean levels 135.5/77.8 males and 133.8/76.5 females; smokers 39.4% males and 13.7% females; male body mass index 27.2 kg/m2 and female BMI 28.9 kg/m2; 30% of males and 40% of females were absolutely free of major risk factors.

Levels of cardiovascular risk factors are similar to other Spanish studies. Comparison of standardized results with MONICA-Europe centers by age shows that cholesterol is lower, but blood pressure is medium-high, tobacco use is higher in males and body mass index is high. This cardiovascular risk profile does not correspond to the low mortality and coronary heart disease incidence in Spain, which is very low and is not related with levels of classical risk factors. It is necessary to study the role of new risk and protecting factors through analytic studies based on coronary heart disease incidence which explain this paradox.