Publication on web site El Mostrador, with information about first results of study of cardiovascular health of Chileans (MAUCO).
Poor diet and lack of exercise, they are the most recurrent flaws in the population.
Less than 1% of the population possesses ideal standards in cardiovascular health in Chile, “Figure extremely low and worrying”, as he asserted the Dra. Claudia Bambs, researcher at the Centre for advanced chronic diseases, ACCDiS , and academic Department of public health of the U. ACDDiS.
“We came to this conclusion after analyzing the answers delivered by one thousand 266 respondents from the city of Molina, Maule region”, held.
Research, developed by ACCDiS, and a pioneer in Latin America, received the award to the best work of research on prevention of diseases cardiovascular, delivered by the Foundation of Cardiology of Chile. This award, that had applications from Chile and the foreigner, It was granted in the last hours during the closure of the XXV Iberoamerican Congress of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Surgery 2015, that was held at the Sheraton.
The seven categories of health ideal
The focus of the study, -framed in the MAUCO Project- has its origins in the vision of the society American of the heart, AHA, entity that in 2010 set out to implement a new concept, that puts emphasis on the behavior healthy and preventive, above the risk and disease. "This look is essential, Since constitutes a change of perspective from the classic factors of risk to a promotion of the health ideal and prevention primary, "that can lead to a greater proportion of the population adopt styles of life healthy", says the medical internist and epidemiologist.
The AHA defined ideal cardiovascular health as the simultaneous presence of the 7 ideal factors: no smoking, BMI less than 25 kg/m2; high physical activity; healthy diet; cholesterol less than 200 mg/dl; lower blood pressure 120/80, and glycemia less than 100 MD/dl. These parameters were studied in this Chilean cohort composed of men and women between 38 and 74 years old., being of poor diet and lack of exercise, the most recurrent flaws.
In this respect, It was estimated that only a 2,9% of the population has a healthy diet. In both, the highest parameter of health was not smoking or having quit smoking more than 1 year ago, index that reached 65,3% of respondents, and that explains the specialist, It is more positive than the general reality of Chile, where is smoking a habit much more prevalent. The study also showed that men and people of lower educational level present poorer levels of cardiovascular health.
"In the whole sample we do not find any subject to comply with the seven ideal parameters. However, 15% had four or more components in the ideal category", designates the Dra. Bambs.
The results of this first study is a concern for the researchers of ACCDiS, but also, an opportunity to reorient public health policies. "Strong cross-sectoral population action is required, the empowerment and participation of individuals and their communities in the generation of strategies to improve the cardiovascular health of the Chilean population, with an emphasis on more critical components such as the diet", as detailed in the study.
In this respect, the UC academic, He explains that for decades Chile has developed mechanisms to decrease risk factors, for example, delivering a good treatment for hypertension or Dyslipidemia, or improving the control of diabetics. "However, These measures have not been sufficient and our commitment now, It is to promote healthy behaviors and so it is necessary to intervene on the social and environmental determinants that constitute the context where people behaviours are built. In addition, It has proven that to greater level of health cardiovascular, It reduces mortality from all causes, as well as the incidence and mortality for cardiovascular disease and cancer", ensures.
Study epidemiological in Molina
Cancer and cardiovascular diseases, they are chronic diseases that, altogether, affecting 60% of the Chilean population, constituting also the two leading causes of death in the country. Before such a scenario, hundred and eighty scientists from the University of Chile (UCH) and the Catholic University of Chile (PUC), they have formed the Center for advanced chronic diseases, ACCDiS , in order to investigate the origins of these pathologies, and design diagnostic tools and therapies designed to generate a positive impact on health.
In this context, This Center FONDAP financed by CONICYT, and directed by Dr. Sergio Lavandero and Dra. Caterina Ferreccio, makes a year set in motion the project MAUCO, population-based study (cohort) focused on the city of Molina, that - during ten years-, It seeks to observe and evaluate the natural history of cancer and cardiovascular diseases, whose incidence in that area, is the highest in Chile.
This research and monitoring to ten thousand inhabitants of the city, includes conducting surveys, measurements anthropometric, biological sampling and other indicators, it allow to give an account of the biological and environmental factors that predispose to the development of chronic inflammation and diseases, such as, gallbladder cancer, disease that is the leading cause of cancer death in Chilean women.
As part of this research, analyses have already been carried out on the first 1622 participants, generating results preliminary as those seen in this study of health cardiovascular.