Se realizo un estudio descriptivo sobre riesgos cardiovasculares y nivel de actividad fisica en comerciantes de un sector urbano del municipio de Pereira, el cual partio del perfil epidemiologico de la ciudad, que reporto para el 2004 en hombres: 101.6 muertes y 82.8 en mujeres por 100.000 habitantes, secundario a problemas cardio-cerebro-circulatorias, y segun el estudio que sobre actividad fisica se hizo en la ciudad en el 2002 que definio a la poblacion como sedentaria. La investigacion se realizo con el programa de Terapia Respiratoria, a traves de visitas a 174 comerciantes de 193 establecimientos comerciales inscritos en la Camara de Comercio de la ciudad, a quienes se les aplicaron 2 instrumentos probados previamente en la ciudad: el de Riesgo Cardiovascular en Poblacion laboral y el Cuestionario Internacional de Actividad Fisica IPAQ 2000, elaborado por la institucion ‘Agita Sao Paulo’ del Brasil. Se observo que en general los comerciantes son poblacion con baja formacionacademica; en su mayoria menor de 40 anos, con poca actividad fisica, expuestos 1 de cada 3 de ellos al cigarrillo, que consulta poco al sistema de salud a pesar de tener altos indices de masa corporal y antecedentes familiares de muerte y enfermedad por patologias cardiovasculares. Se propone implementar un programa de salud cardiovascular con la participacion del Sistema de Seguridad Social en Salud, otras instituciones de educacion superior y los programas de las facultades de Salud, Mercadeo, Publicidad y Diseno Grafico, de la Fundacion Universitaria del Area Andina, para ser presentado a los entes gubernamentales y a las asociaciones de comerciantes: FENALCO, CAMARA DE COMERCIO, ANDI de Pereira, con el fin de garantizar la participacion de los asociados. Abstract During 2005 and 2006, as part of the social responsibility of an institution of higher education to guide the processes of taking of decisions within the trade associations and the general system of social safety in health, a descriptive study on cardiovascular risks and level of physical activity in merchants of an urban sector of the municipality of Pereira was carried out. This study was started by doing an epidemiologic profile of the city, which reported for 2004, 101.6 dead men and 82.8 dead women per 100.000 inhabitants, secondary to cardiocerebrocirculatory problems, and according to a study that on physical activity was done in the city in 2002, which defined the population as sedentary.The research was carried out with the rogram of Respiratory Therapy, throughvisits to 174 tradesmen from 193 business locations inscribed in the Chamber of Commerce of the city, to whom 2 instruments were applied that were previously tested in the city: the CARDIOVASCULAR RISK IN WORKER POPULATION and the INTERNATIONAL QUESTIONNAIRE OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IPAC 2000, prepared by ‘Agita Sao Paulo It was seen in the tradesmen that they are a population with low academic formation; mostly younger than 40 years old, with little physical activity, 1 out of 3of them were exposed to cigarette. This population has a low average of consults to thesystem of health, in spite of having high indexes of corporal mass and familiar precedents of death and illness by cardiovascular pathologies.There is a proposal to implement a program ofcardiovascular health with the participation of the system of social safety in health, other institutions of higher education and theprograms of health, marketing, publicity and graphic design of the institution. This proposal would be submitted to the governmental entities and to the associations of tradesmen, such as FENALCO, CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, ANDI of Pereira, to guarantee the execution and participation of the associates.