HABITUAL DIET AND CARDIOVASCULAR-DISEASE RISK-FACTORS

Introduction A survey by sampling in a county of the State of S. Paulo in 1990 sought, by means of home interviews, to analyse the habitual diet and risk factors for cardiovascular disease of people over 20 yea rs of age. Methodology Of the sub-specimen of a comprehensive study po pulation, 557 individuals, aged between 20 and 88, were interviewed Th e habitual diet, characterized by the dietary history, was compared wi th the recommendations on energy and nutrients of the WHO and the risk factors (obesity, lipemic disorders and diabetes mellitus) diagnosed by the Body Mass Index and biochemical measurements. Results and Concl usions It was observed that 60% of the population consume a diet with total energy below the estimated need and that the caloric contributio n of carbohydrates was of 56%, of the lipids 29% and of the proteins 1 5%. However, by percentil analysis, the caloric contribuition of lipid s and of proteins was far above the recommended levels to the detrimen t of the carbohydrates. Energy, caloric distribution and quantity of c holesterol were satisfactory in only 5% of diets. Among the risk facto rs for the cardiovascular disease studied obesity was found to be pres ent in 38% of individuals, lipemic disorders in 26% and diabetes melli tus in 5%. Preponderantly light physical activity together with unsati sfactory diet, both in qualitative as in quantitative terms, aggravate d this scenario still further.