Obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and tobacco consumption in an urban adult Mexican population

Background. The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence of some of the main coronary risk factors in an open Mexican adult population. Methods. This is a cross-sectional study that includes individuals from eight different cities. Except for Mexico City, all centers were located in medium-sized cities ranging from 1 to 5 million inhabitants. Eligible subjects were adults 20 years of age or older. Exclusion criteria included subjects seeking medical attention due to an acute illness or individuals unable to provide the requested information or written consent to participate in the study. Men (n = 567) and women (n = 1,018) were included. A previously validated interview was conducted. A questionnaire assessed demographic and lifestyle factors. Capillary glucose concentration and blood pressure were obtained. Remarkably, 40% of the population had a body mass index (BMI) between 25 and 29.9 kg/m(2); an additional 28% had a BMI > 30 kg/m(2). A large proportion of the individuals had abdominal fat distribution (62% of men and 81% of women). At the time of the evaluation, 30% of men and 18% of women were regular smokers Results. Blood pressure > 140/90 mmHg was found in 29.4% of the population. Less than one half of the subjects had a previous measurement of plasma cholesterol (47%) or triglycerides (42%). The prevalence of diabetes was 9.02%. A significant percentage of these subjects were < 40 years of age (18.8% of the diabetic population). Conclusions. The prevalence of obesity, diabetes, and hypertension in the population reported here is among the highest reported in Mexican populations. (C) 2001 IMSS. Published by Elsevier Science Inc.