Cardiovascular and diabetes risk in penitentiary population of Pereira, Colombia, 2010

Introduction: Both Diabetes and cardiovascular disease have an important burden of morbidity and death worldwide, being prison’s population in an increased risk for those pathologies. Objective: To assess the cardiovascular disease risk and type 2 diabetes mellitus risk in a population of prisoners in Pereira. Methods: A descriptive study was conducted, selecting the population by convenience. Instruments designed to assess type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease risks in ten years were applied. Results: Sixty one males were included in the population, mean age was 48 years. The main cardiovascular risk factors found were: Low vegetables intake (70.5%), abdominal obesity (65.6%), sedentarism (62.3%) and smoking (54.1%); the ten years risk for type 2 diabetes was above low in 66% of the population and the cardiovascular disease risk was between 10% and 20% in 10% of the cases and higher than 40% in 16% of them. Discussion: The high prevalence of modifiable risk factors and measured risk for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes make it necessary to design and apply programs that aim to promote, prevent and diagnose these pathologies that are more extensive and effective than the current ones.