Resumo

FERNANDEZ DIAZ, Ivonne Elena et al. Anthropometric nutritional evaluation in the elderly. Behavior in arterial hypertension. Rev Cubana Med Gen Integr [online]. 2004, vol.20, n.4, pp. 0-0. ISSN 1561-3038.

A descriptive cross-sectional research was carried out in a sample of the population aged 60-79 of both sexes in the health area of "Van Troi" Teaching Polyclinic from September 2002 to June 2003. The objectives of this paper were to determine their nutritional state by using anthropometric variables, such as estimated body mass index, waist-hip index and body fat percentage, making a distinction between sexes and age groups, and to find out the nutritional state in the presence of arterial hypertension. To obtain data and measurements, a personal interview was made and the family and individual medical histories were used. The results showed that the evaluation of the nutritional state by estimated body mass index prevailed in the male hypertensive with normal or acceptable weight and in the overweight female hypertensive. The estimation of the body fat percentage evidenced the predominance of obesity in both sexes in arterial hypertension. The distribution of fat in male hypertensive patients is lower, whereas among the hypertensive females it is higher. In spite of the fact that variations were observed with age, there were only statistically significant differences in fat distribution in the female hypertensive according to the waist-hip index.

Palavras-chave : Arterial hypertension; aged people; nutritional state; anthropometric variables.