Abstract

RODRIGUEZ PERON, José Miguel; MORA GONZALEZ, Salvador R.; ACOSTA CABRERA, Erick B.  and  MENENDEZ LOPEZ, José R.. Índice de masa corporal como indicador en la estratificación del riesgo aterogénico para la vigilancia en salud. Rev Cub Med Mil [online]. 2004, vol.33, n.1, pp. 0-0. ISSN 1561-3046.

An observational and descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from January to December, 2002, aimed at evaluating the usefulness of the body mass index (BMI) to identify the population with the highest personal atherogenic attribute and the influence of overweight-obesity on the clinical control of arterial hypertension. 150 hypertensive patients from the basic health care level were studied. According to the BMI, they were classified into normoweight, overweight and obese. Variables such as age, sex complexion, systolic and diastolic arterial pressure and pharmacological treatment were studied. The incidence of clinical decontrol of arterial hypertension according to BMI and age groups, showed that the clinical decontrol of arterial hypertension behaved in a similar way in the overweight (60.8 %) and in the obese (58.6 %). The highest magnitude was observed in the 50-59 age group (80.8 %). The estimation of the association force between overweight - obesity and the clinical decontrol of arterial hypertension showed 1.6 times more probability of decompensation in patients over the ideal weight according to height than in the normoweight with an attributable percent risk. It is estimated that 34 % of the patients with clinical decontrol may be prevented if this causal factor is eliminated. The BMI is useful as an anthropometric indicator of the atherogenic damage risk and it has a strategical importance in health surveillance at the primary health care level.

Keywords : BODY MASS INDEX; BODY WEIGHT; RISK FACTORS; HYPERTENSION [therapy]; HYPERTENSION [diet therapy]; OBESITY [therapy]; OBESITY [diet therapy]; EXERCISE.