CVD risk assessment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults

A consensus statement has been published which makes new recommendations for assessing cardiovascular disease risk in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults aged under 35. 

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Amongst the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population, cardiovascular disease (CVD) accounts for a quarter of all deaths and it is the largest contributor to preventable morbidity and mortality1. Research shows that 75% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults under 35 years old have one or more risk factors for CVD2. 

Compared to non-Indigenous adults, emerging evidence shows that high absolute CVD risk starts earlier in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults. On average, CVD events such as heart attacks, strokes and CVD-related mortality occur 10 - 20 years earlier in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population than in the non-Indigenous Australian population3.  

This has informed primary care guidance of the need to lower the age of CVD risk screening and management in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults2. In March 2020, a consensus statement was published on CVD risk assessment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults under the age of 35. 

Additional information