[Cardiovascular risk factor assessment in a rural Brazilian population]

This cross-sectional study assessed cardiovascular health in 863 adults in rural communities in the Jequitinhonha Valley, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, focusing on seven factors, four of which behavioral (diet, physical activity, smoking, and body weight) and three biological (total cholesterol, fasting blood glucose, and arterial pressure), classified as ideal, intermediate, or poor. Men showed better results in behavioral factors (p = 0.01), with more men displaying 2 or 3 factors at ideal levels (48.5 and 25.8%, respectively), when compared to women (44.2 and 19.8%, respectively) (p = 0.01). Women presented more biological factors at ideal levels (19.1%) when compared to men (7.9%) (p < 0.001). Only three participants (0.4%) showed all seven factors at ideal levels. Prevalence of ideal indices was very low, showing the need for strategies to improve cardiovascular health in this population.