Coronary heart disease and risk factors in latin america

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the primary cause of mortality in Latin America, with ischemic heart disease being the leading specific cause.
• Prevalence of CVD risk factors, including overweight, obesity, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, and tobacco smoking, is high and exhibits regional variations.
• Increasing rates of overweight and obesity, strongly linked to sedentarism, are a significant concern, particularly noted in Mexico.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the prevalence and patterns of cardiovascular disease risk factors in Latin America.
• To identify the most significant attributable risks for myocardial infarction in the region.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from national surveys, such as the 2012 Mexican National Survey.
• Incorporated data from the INTERHEART study, which analyzed risk factors for myocardial infarction in over 27,000 subjects across 52 countries, with a focus on Latin America.

Main Results:

• Characteristic dyslipidemia includes low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and increased triglycerides.
• National prevalence rates for diabetes mellitus range from 2.8% to 9.4%, and for tobacco smoking from 12.8% to 42%.
• The INTERHEART data for Latin America identified abdominal obesity, dyslipidemia, and smoking as the most significant attributable risks for myocardial infarction.

Conclusions:

• High prevalence of modifiable risk factors like obesity, dyslipidemia, and smoking significantly contributes to the burden of cardiovascular diseases in Latin America.
• Targeted public health interventions focusing on these key risk factors are essential for mitigating cardiovascular mortality in the region.