Association between anthropometric, biochemical and hemodynamic variables in cardiac patients

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the world, significantly growing in developing countries. In Brazil, they have been the first cause of death for at least four decades and, according to the Ministry of Health1, they were the most frequent cause of death in 2009, with 31.3%. According to forecasts for the year 2020, CVD will remain the leading cause of mortality and disability1. There is consensus among experts that CVDs have a multifactorial origin and participate in the genesis of the so-called risk factors, defined as causative agents that predispose to the emergence of heart diseases. Identifying these factors is essential for clinical practice and for the development of public health strategies for primary and secondary prevention of CVD2-5.