Prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in low income women

Goals: Identify the most prevalent risk factors for developing cardiovascular diseases ( CVD) in low-income women; verify the relation between the prevalence of risk factors to develop CVD and social economic factors and identify beliefs of death without relation to the main diseases affecting females. Methods: Interview of 100 cleaning ladies in Sao Paulo University Hospital. It was used a quiz composed by 25 closed questions based on VIGITEL/2006 quiz – Health Ministry – a risk factor surveillance quiz. Results: The most prevalent cardiovascular risk factor was hypertension followed by smoking. Most of the women carrying cardiovascular risk factors were over 55 years old. It was also verified the  relation between a higher income and higher education to CVD deaths. Conclusion: In order to reduce mortality by CVD, it is necessary to provide more information to these women about the main risks of developing such diseases through prevention programs, specially among groups with more vulnerability Keywords:  Women, work, poverty, education, cardiovascular diseases.