[Cardiovascular risk factors in a sample of young Mexican women]

The present work describes the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in young mexican women. 96 women from 18 to 40 years of age were included. All of them were measured (height, waist and hip) and weighed, blood pressure was registered, laboratory exams were taken and a questionnaire was answered. Cardiovascular risk factors prevalence was estimated and the average concentrations of lipids and glucose and systolic and diastolic blood pressure were compared by age, BMI and WHI group. Of the studied women, 51% were overweight or obese and 51% had visceral obesity with a high prevalence of lipids abnormalities (hypoalpha-lipoproteinemia and hypertrigliceridemia), which increases progressively with age. Only 5% and 4% had normal to high systolic and dyastolic blood pressures and 7% had blood glucose > 110 mg/dL. In this sample of women with similar social, demographic, economic, and cultural characteristics, a high proportion was identified with body weight problems and lipids abnormalities, a frequent finding in Latin populations with multiple etiologies and associated with different cardiovascular risk factors.