
CVD risk calculators
Where to find and how to use CVD risk calculators
Absolute CVD risk is the likelihood of a person experiencing a cardiovascular event such as heart attack or stroke within the next five years. The Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) items 699 and 177 specify that the Heart Health Check must include a calculation of your patient’s absolute CVD risk as per the Australian absolute CVD risk calculator.
The absolute CVD risk calculation is based on the Framingham Risk Equation (FRE), and uses the following risk factors:
- gender
- age
- smoking status
- diabetes status
- systolic blood pressure
- total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein (HDL) ratio
- left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) if available.
Risk categories
- Low risk corresponds to <10% probability of CVD within the next five years
- Moderate risk corresponds to 10–15% probability of CVD within the next five years
- High risk corresponds to >15% probability of CVD within the next five years
More information
- Absolute CVD risk calculator – cvdcheck.org.au
- Guidelines for the management of absolute cardiovascular disease risk
- Cardiovascular disease risk assessment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults aged under 35 years: a consensus statement
- Australian cardiovascular risk charts
- Risk Assessment Algorithm and Patient Risk Calculator
- MedicalDirector online help for cardiovascular risk calculator
- Heart, diabetes and kidney risk calculator developed by healthdirect and The George Institute
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