Arq. Bras. Cardiol. 2025; 122(9): e20250567
Hypertension in Indigenous Brazilians: A Rapidly Emerging Public Health Crisis
This Short Editorial is referred by the Research article "Prevalence of Systemic Arterial Hypertension and Associated Factors in Indigenous Treated at a Specialized Outpatient Clinic in Southern Brazil".
The increasing burden of systemic arterial hypertension among Brazil’s Indigenous populations is a clear indicator of the country’s ongoing epidemiological transition, marked by a shift from infectious diseases and malnutrition to non-communicable chronic diseases (NCDs) such as hypertension. In the recent study by Araújo et al., conducted in a specialized outpatient clinic for Indigenous health in Passo Fundo (RS), 26.0% of Indigenous adults were found to be hypertensive. This prevalence is consistent with previous reports from other Indigenous populations in Brazil, such as those from the Xingu Indigenous Park (26.7%) and the Upper Rio Negro region (29.0%), suggesting that the findings reflect a broader national trend of increasing cardiovascular risk among Indigenous communities. Multiple studies highlight this transition, noting that Indigenous communities are experiencing rising rates of hypertension and other cardiometabolic conditions as a result of rapid cultural, economic, and lifestyle changes, including urbanization, dietary shifts, and increased interaction with non-Indigenous society.– National surveys confirm the emergence of obesity, hypertension, and diabetes in a growing number of Indigenous communities across all regions of Brazil, further underscoring the epidemiological transition., Once considered virtually absent in these communities, hypertension is now emerging as a critical health concern, with prevalence rates approaching or even surpassing national averages.
The study by Araújo et al. adds nuance to this epidemiological picture by identifying factors independently associated with hypertension: age ≥60 years, having a spouse, and diabetes mellitus. The finding that 58% of older individuals in this population are hypertensive is especially troubling when juxtaposed with demographic data showing that only 20.1% of Indigenous people in Rio Grande do Sul are over 60 years old. This suggests a high disease burden among the elderly and reinforces the urgency of implementing age-specific preventive strategies.
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