Risk factors associated to high pressure levels in university students

Objective: evaluating the association between risk factors and pressure levels in university students. Methods: descriptive, cross-sectional study, developed with 203 university students through a self-applicable questionnaire, built from the Ministry of Health instrument for the Telephonic Inquiry for the Surveillance of Risk Factors and Protection Against Chronic Diseases. The analysis of data was carried out using Kendall’s tau coefficient. Results: 164 (80.8%) participants had normal pressure levels, nine (4.4%) had pre-hypertension, and 30 (14.8%) had hypertension. Regarding their lifestyles, 16 (7.9%) were smokers, 12 (5.9%) made abusive use of alcohol, 137 (67.5%) were active, 64 (31.5%) had abdominal adiposity, 29 (14.3%) were overweight or obese and 32 (15.8%) used salt in excess. Conclusion: the risk factors related to high pressure levels were being 35 years old or older, having abdominal adiposity, being overweight or obese. Descriptors: Hypertension; Cardiovascular Diseases; Risk Factors; Students. RESUMO Objetivo: avaliar a associação dos fatores de risco com os níveis pressóricos elevados em universitários. Métodos: estudo descritivo, transversal, desenvolvido com 203 universitários, por meio de questionário autoaplicável, construído com base no instrumento para Vigilância de Fatores de Risco e Proteção Para Doenças Crônicas por Inquérito Telefônico do Ministério da Saúde. A análise dos dados foi realizada pelo teste Tau de Kendall. Resultados: dos participantes do estudo, 164 (80,8%) possuíam níveis pressóricos referentes à pressão arterial normal, nove (4,4%) pré-hipertensão, 30 (14,8%) hipertensão. Quanto ao estilo de vida, 16 (7,9%) eram fumantes, 12 (5,9%) faziam uso abusivo de álcool, 137 (67,5%) eram ativos, 64 (31,5%) possuíam adiposidade abdominal, 29 (14,3%) estavam com sobrepeso ou obesidade e 32 (15,8%) faziam uso excessivo de sal. Conclusão: os fatores de risco relacionados aos níveis pressóricos elevados foram: ter 35 anos ou mais de idade, adiposidade abdominal, sobrepeso ou obesidade. Descritores: Hipertensão; Doenças Cardiovasculares; Fatores de Risco; Estudantes. 1Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul. Três Lagoas, MS, Brazil. Corresponding author: Anna Clara Freitas Maia Rua Duque de Caxias, 465, Jardim Primaveril CEP: 79.603-000. Três Lagoas, MS, Brazil. E-mail: annaclaramaia@hotmail.com Celsiane da Silva Rodrigues Pereira1 Mara Cristina Ribeiro Furlan1 Aires Garcia dos Santos Júnior1 Larissa da Silva Barcelos1 Anna Clara Freitas Maia1 How to cite this article: Pereira CSR, Furlan MCR, Santos Júnior AG, Barcelos LS, Maia ACF. Risk factors associated to high pressure levels in university students. Rev Rene. 2020;21:e42272. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15253/2175-6783.20202142272 Pereira CSR, Furlan MCR, Santos Júnior AG, Barcelos LS, Maia ACF Rev Rene. 2020;21:e42272. 2 Introduction Cardiovascular diseases are the first cause of death worldwide(1). Approximately 31.0% of deaths in 2015 happened due to this health problem, adding to 17.7 million people(2). An epidemiological study showed a potential association between cardiovascular diseases and a set of modifiable risk factors(3), such as lifestyle, consumption of substances such as alcohol and alcohol, bad eating habits, overweight and obesity. These factors affect a considerable percentage of young people(2), a group which includes most university students. This data is correlated to systolic arterial hypertension, an important risk factor for vascular lesion problems(2). A study carried out with students from a Public University in Piauí found that 8.7% of its students had arterial hypertension. In addition, it was found that even when the subjects were young, there was a high prevalence of obesity and abdominal fat, which are determinant for the increase in pressure levels(4). The clinical symptoms of cardiovascular diseases appear in adult life, but the accumulation of fat in the walls of the arteries starts in the first decade of life. Throughout the years, cardiovascular risk factors are more likely to accumulate, leading to an increased likelihood of dying from this type of disease(3). Due to the multiple etiologies of the cardiovascular diseases, ways to evaluate the cardiovascular risk in individuals were developed, allowing to identify population groups that are susceptible to death from cardiovascular factors(1). However, considering the above, these actions deserve more attention and care with regards to young individuals and should aim at a primary prevention of the cardiovascular diseases, that is, the actions should be taken before the individual gets sick. Despite the scarcity of studies that measured the systolic arterial hypertension of university students, a research found among its participants pressure levels that were increased in 21.5% for men and 2.2% for women. It also found an association with the risk factors: being male, abdominal circumference, glycemia, triglyceride levels, HDL cholesterol, smoking, and being overweight(4). It stands out that university life brings about many intense changes in the life of individuals, with negative repercussions in health. Therefore, the investigation of risk factors for the increase of pressure levels in university students is vital, since the earlier these factors are changed, the lower the chance that the student will become ill once he becomes an adult or elder. The investigation of these factors is still often neglected by health professionals. As a result, the objective of this study was evaluating the association of risk factors and high pressure levels in university students.