Background: A successful cardiovascular prevention program should induce a reduction of risk factors along time.
Aim: To assess changes in cardiovascular risk factors among males aged between 35 and 65 years living in Southern Chile.
Material and methods: The results of two cross sectional household surveys, with a probability sampling stratified by socioeconomic status, were analyzed. Two hundred males were evaluated in 1989 and 800 in 2011-12, paired by age for selection.
Results: In the second survey, a mean weight increase of 4.5 kg was recorded. Body mass index increased from 27.1 to 28.6 kg/m(2) (p < 0.01), especially in men younger than 45 years old. No changes in smoking prevalence were observed. The prevalence of hypertension and hypertensive patients in treatment increased from 32.7 to 38.1% and from 17 to 33%, respectively. The number of treated hypertensive patients with a well-controlled blood pressure did not change significantly. In 1989 and 2011-12, mean total cholesterol values were 192 and 201 mg/dl respectively (p < 0.01). The figures for mean non-HDL cholesterol were 152 and 160 mg/dl (p = 0.03). The frequency of people with total cholesterol over 240 mg/dl or using statins increased from 15 to 25% (p < 0.01). The estimated 10 years risk of myocardial infarction and coronary death using Framingham tables was 9,0 in both periods (p = 0.95).
Conclusions: In a 22 years period an increase in the prevalence of obesity and elevated total cholesterol was observed. There was a higher proportion of individuals treated for hypertension and dyslipidemia, but without reduction in the estimated cardiovascular risk.