Author(s)

Fidele Sonounameto¹, Marcelin Agbo¹, Colette Azandjeme², Santorin Seton¹, Mansouratou Betira¹, Jean-Baptiste Amagbegnon¹, Fresnel Cachon³, Maximin Senou³, Casmir Akpovi⁴, Alphonse Sezan⁵, Camille Dossou⁶, Lamine Baba-Moussa⁶, Joachim Gbenou⁷, Omedine Koukoui¹

¹Laboratory of Research in Medical and Pharmaceutic Biotechnology (LaRBiMeP), Research Unit of Animal Physiology, Cell Signaling and Pharmacology (U-PASCPharm), ENSBBA/UNSTIM, Dassa-Zoumé, Benin.
²Department of Health Promotion, IRSP/UAC, Ouidah, Benin.
³Laboratory of Research in Medical and Pharmaceutic Biotechnology (LaRBiMeP), Unit of Experimental and Clinical Biology (U-BEC), ENSBBA/UNSTIM, Dassa-Zoumé, Benin.
⁴Laboratory of Applied Biology Research, Research Unit on Non-Communicable Diseases and Cancer, EPAC/UAC, Cotonou, Benin.
⁵Laboratory of Pharmacology and Improved Traditional Medicines, Department of Animal Physiology, FAST/UAC, Cotonou, Benin.
⁶Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Typing in Microbiology, Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, FAST/UAC, Abomey Calavi, Benin.
⁷Laboratory of Pharmacognosy and Essential Oils, FAST/UAC, Cotonou, Benin.

The heavy use of chemicals, pesticides, cosmetics and plastic packaging coincides with a resurgence of cardiovascular disease, in particular hypertension, which is affecting younger and younger populations. The aim of this study was to analyze the cardiovascular risk factors in hypertensive farmers compared with hypertensive non farmers. This was a prospective case-control study that included 239 hypertensive farmers and non farmers aged 25 to 65 with blood pressure ≥ 140 mmHg and 90 mmHg. Hypertensive farmers (101) represented 42.25% of the population versus hypertensive non farmers (138) 57.74%. The median ages were 47 ± 11.3 years for farmers and 51.45 ± 9.77 years for non farmers. Biochemical analysisand screening for major cardiovascular disease risk factors such as metabolic syndrome were performed. Metabolic syndrome was defined according to the new definition of the International Diabetes Federation. Our results revealed higher blood glucose levels in farmers (47.77%) than in non farmers (27.20%) (p = 0.0132). Dyslipidemia was more frequent in non farmerswith high level of LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol. Farmers presented a high level of tryglycerides. The prevalence of obesity was higher in non farmers 51 (36.96%) than farmers 18 (17.82%). The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 106 (44.35%) in our study population. There was not an important difference between farmers (39.60%) and non farmers (47.82%). However, the variation of metabolic syndrome according to age and sex showed a higher prevalence in young male farmers aged 25 to 45 whereas non farmers presented an increasing prevalence of metabolic syndrome according to age and the absence of metabolic syndrome between age 25 and 35. Our results showed that the cardiovascular risk appeared early in young farmers compared with non farmers suggesting a possible role of pesticides in the onset of this risk.

Chemicals, Farmers, Metabolic Syndrome, Hypertension

Sonounameto, F. , Agbo, M. , Azandjeme, C. , Seton, S. , Betira, M. , Amagbegnon, J. , Cachon, F. , Senou, M. , Akpovi, C. , Sezan, A. , Dossou, C. , Baba-Moussa, L. , Gbenou, J. and Koukoui, O. (2023) Analysis of Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Hypertensive Farmers and Non-Farmers in the Zou Region of Central Benin. Journal of Biosciences and Medicines, 11, 362-375. doi: 10.4236/jbm.2023.1112027.