Introduction:

Several studies have shown a high prevalence of obesity, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, proteinuria and chronic kidney disease in indigenous populations. Aim: To detect cardiovascular and renal risk factors, hypertension, overweight and obesity, truncal obesity, diabetes and proteinuria, and to evaluate educational level, employment situation, socioeconomic level and health care coverage in subjects from the Wichi ethnic group who inhabit in "El Impenetrable” in Chaco. Methods: An observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study was carried out, with a random sample of subjects over 18 years of age. The semi-structured survey, translated into the Wichi language, included: age, sex, sedentary lifestyle, smoking habit, educational level, employment situation, health care coverage and socioeconomic level. Weight, height, waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, blood glucose and proteinuria were measured. Body mass index was calculated. Results: 156 people were evaluated (58.3% men; age: 34 ± 12 years). The body mass index was 27.9 ± 5.3, with no difference between the sexes. Hypertension was present in 10.8% of individuals; overweight in 34.0%; obesity in 30.9%; truncal obesity in 40.1% (higher in women, p = 0.03); smoking habit in 17.4%; sedentary lifestyle in 83.3%, and proteinuria in 14.5%. A single case of diabetes was registered. Only 6.4% reported having a job, 49.3% had not completed primary studies, 61.7% qualified as marginal in terms of socioeconomic status, and only 3.8% had health care coverage. Conclusion: This population group shows a high degree of food, educational, occupational, social and health vulnerability, reflected in the high prevalence of cardiovascular and renal risk factors (particularly excess weight and truncal obesity), in the low educational, employment and socioeconomic levels, and in the lack of health coverage.