Acculturation impact on some metabolic parameters of the Lacandon communities from Chiapas

The Lacandones are considered descendants of the Maya Civilization that found refuge in the jungle during the Spanish colonization. They were able to live in absolute isolation until 1990 when an acculturation process began. This is a cross-sectional study that included 46.7% of the total Lacandon population. Weight, height, overnight fasting plasma glucose, urea, creatinine, uric acid, hemoglobin, triglycerides and HDL-cholesterol levels were determined. BMI and age have a positive correlation for subjects younger than 40 years (r = 0.51). Diabetes prevalence is 1.1%, and all cases are in the most acculturated town (Palenque). Prediabetes prevalence is 5.85% and all the cases have also hypertriglyceridemia. 19% of the prediabetes cases are between 10 and 19 years old. Hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia prevalences are 20.7% and 45.1% respectively and there are cases in all the age groups.

The study showed the need to implement public health programs to revert the obesity tendency in the young Lacandon population to avoid in long term the burden of non-communicable diseases that would affect most of their productive life.