Dietary factors related to the increase of cardiovascular risk factors in traditional Tepehuanos communities from Mexico. A 10 year follow-up study☆

Abstract 

Background and aims

Tepehuanos Indians, a traditional Mexican ethnic group, followed a vegetarian diet exhibiting a low prevalence of obesity and the absence of diabetes. However, from the year 2000 the traditional diet of the Tepehuanos was modified by the introduction of western food. In this study we examine the changes in their customary diet and its impact on the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in this group.

Methods and results

Individuals from 12 Tepehuanos communities were randomly enrolled during 1995–1996 and 2006–2007. Using a 64-item semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire macronutrient intakes were calculated from values of Mexican food-composition tables. Cardiovascular risk factors such as obesity, hypertension, hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia were determined.

The median (25, 75 percentile) of total caloric intake (1476 [1083, 1842]–2100 [1366, 2680]kcal/day, p<0.001) as well as the percentage of energy consumed from saturated fat (3.0 [2.7,4.1]–7.2 [3.9,7.4], p<0.0001) and protein (8.2 [7.8,8.9]–16.8 [16.3,17.1], p<0.0001) increased, whereas the percentage of total calorie intake from carbohydrates (66.4 [61.3,69.5]–61.3 [61,68.8], p<0.0001), polyunsaturated fat (11.2 [10.3,12.1]–4.0 [3.9,4.3], p<0.0001), and the polyunsaturated:saturated fat ratio (3.84–0.53%, p<0.0001) decreased during the period of study. The prevalence of obesity (11.1–21.9%, p=0.04), impaired fasting glucose (5.9–14.9%, p=0.04), diabetes (0.0–0.88%, p=0.48), hypertension (1.7–3.4%, p=0.43), triglycerides (2.6–16.7%, p=0.0006), and low HDL-cholesterol (10.2–71.1%, p<0.0001) increased.

Conclusions

Changes in the customary diet introduced in the Tepehuanos communities are related to the increase of cardiovascular risk factors.

Keywords: Dietary pattern, Acculturation, Cardiovascular risk, Polyunsaturated fat, Saturated fat, Calories, Carbohydrates