Survey of diabetes, hypertension and chronic disease risk factors: Belize, San José, San Salvador (Santa Tecla), Guatemala City (Villa Nueva), Managua and Tegucigalpa (2012, PAHO-CAMDI)

Most developing countries of Latin America are in a stage of epidemiologic, demographic, and nutritional transition. Changes in lifestyle are associated with mass migration from the rural areas to the urban areas, the phenomena of globalization, and exchanges between cultures. These changes are occurring rapidly in Central America; consequently, protein-calorie malnutrition is observed most frequently in conjunction with obesity, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and hyperc holesterolemia. 

The health situation in Central America is evolving from one in which the epidemiologic profile is dominated by infectious diseases and nutritional deficiencies to an elevation of the importance of chronic non communicable diseases (NCD) as principal causes of morbidity. For example, data from around the year 2002 demonstrated that among women in Central America of 20-59 years the first cause of death is cancer of the uterus, with diabetes, stroke, and ischemic heart disease being the third, four and fifth causes respectively. During the same period, among those of age 60 years and older in both genders, ischemic heart disease and stroke were the first and second causes of death, respectively, while congestive heart disease and diabetes were among the five main causes of deaths. 

Furthermore, the ratio of mortality due to non communicable and communicable causes in Central America rose from 1.0 to 3.1 between the periods of 1980-1985 and 1990-1995, respectively. Despite the importance of NCD in the health profile of Central America, information on the prevalence of major chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension and their risk factors are not available. Obesity, physical inactivity and diet are considered major factors in the etiology of diabetes mellitus and hypertension. Obesity can contribute significantly to heart disease and resulting disabilities. For this reason, the present study examined the effects of epidemiologic transition on the health profile of various populations of Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua.