The risk of developing coronary artery disease related to sedentary life is 1.5 to 2.4 times higher when compared
to hypertension, dyslipidemia and smoking. Aerobic physical activity of moderate intensity when performed on a regular basis (at least 30 minutes, three times a week), can have an impact in reducing the risk of cardiovascular events in the range 30–40% [11]. In this study, although 33% of women are self-reported as active (Table 2) and 74.4% consumed a normal caloric diet (less than 2000 kcal/day), there is a high prevalence of overweight and obesity as well as high WC. Only 8.8% actually performed aerobic or strengthening exercises sufficiently enough to have an impact on the prevention of cardiovascular diseases [12]. Women who do not perform physical activities were more likely to have high blood pressure (44%) when compared to those who were active (14.3%) (Table 5). Regular physical activities is an important therapeutic, non-pharmacological preventive method against cardiovascular events. The following study limitations are important when interpreting the findings reported herein. First, the sample size was relatively small due to the type of the study design (cross-sectional study, based on a convenience sample). Thus, the study results do not reflect either the
nutritional status, or the health patterns of the population of Rio de Janeiro. Second, the variation of food consumption exists between individuals (inter-individual variability) and in the same individual, in relation to daily intakes (intra-individual variability), and these are inherent to studies of this type. Moreover, estimated food consumption methods are marked by variations along the evaluation process, from obtaining individuals reported information to the compilation of data. These could lead to a misleading use of data related to food consumption patterns and their association with health outcomes. Third, although the 24-hour recall method is widely used for dietary assessments, the intake of a single day does not represent the daily intake of an individual. However, it has been carefully considered to be the most appropriate
and feasible tool regarding both, the purpose of this study and the study population. According to Willett, applying
a single 24-hour recall may be suitable for estimating mean intakes in groups, given a sample size that suits this purpose [30].
Conclusions
This study concludes that the women consumed a low quality diet attributed to the low intake of fruits, vegetables and greeneries and excessive sodium. These inappropriate eating practices have a negative impact on cardiometabolic risk factors of postmenopausal women who also showed a high prevalence of abdominal obesity. Furthermore, women presented increased lipids, fasting glucose as well as higher blood pressure levels that are recognized markers of increased cardiovascular risks.