PREVALENCE OF COMORBIDITIES IN THE ELDERLY ACCORDING TO BODY MASS INDEX

Introduction and Aim: Obesity is a chronic disease which is directly or indirectly interrelated to some other pathological situations which contribute to morbidity and mortality such as dyslipidemia, Diabetes Mellitus (DM) and Arterial Hypertension (AH). Body Mass Index (BMI) represents a way of presuming the volume and fat distribution and it is considered to be obese the individual who presents BMI higher or equal to 30kg/m². This study aims at identifying the prevalence of global obesity through BMI, and its association with DM and AH, and any kind of dyslipidemia in elderly people seen at UBSF (Family Primary Health Care Unit) Serra Dourada. Methodology: A hundred elderly people aged 60 years or above with previous diagnosis of dyslipidemia, DM and AH from the UBSF were analyzed through medical records from January/2011 to August/2011. The BMI of these patients was calculated by using the formula weight (kg)/height2 (m). Results and conclusion: Obesity was identified in 21.2% of males and 39.6% of females. In obese males, a higher prevalence of AH was observed when compared to men with BMI< 30kg/m². The women presented a higher frequency of AH and dyslipidemias, compared to women with BMI< 30kg/m². The results reveal differences in relation to gender, with men presenting lower prevalence of obesity and if obese, lower prevalence of comorbidities. The data obtained through this study contribute to amplification of the anthropometric indicators of the elderly and metabolic alterations associated with obesity.