Archivos Latinoamericanos de Nutrición (Dec 2006)
Niveles séricos de homocisteína total y lipoproteínas en adultos jóvenes de áreas rurales y urbanas de Costa Rica Serum total homocysteine and lipoproteins levels in young adults from urban and rural areas of Costa Rica.
Abstract
Se estudió el perfil de lípidos y los niveles séricos de homocisteína total de una población de 400 adultos con edades entre 20 y 40 años residentes de áreas rurales y urbanas del valle central de Costa Rica. Los resultados indican que la proporción de sujetos de zona urbana con niveles elevados de LDL-C (= 4,13 mmol/L) fue un 11% mayor que la proporción de individuos de zona rural (29,2% y 18,0%, p=0,045). Por el contrario, la proporción de individuos de zona rural con niveles de HDL-C bajos (15 ìmol/L), hipercolesterolemia (= 5,17 mmol/L) e hipertrigliceridemia (= 1,69 mmol/L) en la población estudiada fue 5,8%; 53,6% y 50,1% respectivamente. El 82% de la población estudiada presentó valores de LDL-C = 2,58 mmol/L y un 61% aproximadamente de los adultos tenían las HDL-C en niveles inferiores a 1,03 mmol/L. Los datos indican que la población costarricense estudiada presenta un alto riesgo cardiovascular. La prevalencia de niveles bajos de HDL-C (This study evaluated the lipid profile and the serum levels of total homocysteine of 400 adults aged 20 to 40 years, residents of rural and urban areas of the central valley of Costa Rica. The results showed that the proportion of subjects from urban areas with high levels of LDL-C (= 4,13 mmol/L) was 11% higher than the proportion of adults from rural areas (29,2% y 18,0%, p=0,045). On the contrary, the proportion of rural subjects with low HDL-C levels (15 ìmol/L), hypercholesterolemia (= 5,17 mmol/L) and hypertriglyceridemia (=1,69 mmol/L) in the studied population were 5,8%, 53,6% y 50,1% respectively. 82% of the studied population had LDL-C levels above 2,58 mmol/L and approximately 61% of the adults had HDL-C levels lower than 1,03 mmol/L. Our data suggest that the studied costarrican population has a very high cardiovascular risk. The prevalence of low levels of HDL-C (< 1,03 mmol/L), marginal levels of total homocysteine and a tendency to have high levels of triglycerides were the most outstanding cardiovascular risk factors found in this population, specially in rural subjects, which could be associated with the quality of the diet of these habitants. It is necessary to develop effective intervention strategies to promote healthy lifestyles in the population in order to reduce the cardiovascular mortality rates in Costa Rica.
