Prevalencia de factores de riesgo cardiovascular en un colectivo de mujeres adolescentes

Abstract

Objective This study was designed to assess cardiovascular risk in a group of adolescent girls due to the need to take action on risk profiles at early ages. Methods A total of 135 students (18.51 ± 1.12 years) at the School of Nursing of the University of the Basque Country (Spain) completed a questionnaire that included items on family and personal history of cardiovascular disease and lifestyle habits. Height, weight and abdominal circumference were measured, as were levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), apolipoprotein A1 and apolipoprotein B100. Results A family history of cardiovascular disease was reported by 43.7%, diabetes by 33.3%, dyslipidemia by 29.6% and hypertension by 25.2%. A personal history of cardiovascular disease was reported by 3%. One-fifth (21.5%) were smokers, 88.1% engaged in regular physical activity, and 86.7% consumed alcohol on weekends. Lipid profile was as follows: 90.2% had optimal values of total cholesterol, the entire sample had HDL-c levels >40 mg/dL and 45.7% >60 mg/dL; 2.6% had LDL-c >160 mg/dL and 2.2% triglyceride levels >150 mg/dL. The prevalence of apolipoprotein A1 <120 mg/dL and B100 >120 md/dL was 2.17% and 1.08%, respectively. A total of 14.1% was overweight and 1.5% was obese. Abdominal circumference was >88 cm in 5.9%. Conclusions Cardiovascular risk factors were low in the population studied, except for alcohol consumption, indicating the importance of promoting a healthy lifestyle to help to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.