Cardiovascular Disease

Cardiovascular diseases are a group of disorders of the heart and blood vessels. They are the leading cause of death globally, contributing to 32% of worldwide deaths [1]. Heart attacks and stroke are the most common cause of cardiovascular death in Australia, with 161 acute coronary events occurring among people aged 25 and over each day, and 38,600 stroke events occurring in Australia in 2018 [2].

In 2017-18, it was estimated that around 6.2% of the adult population had at least one condition related to heart, stroke, or vascular disease, with self-report data indicating that rates were higher in men (age standardised rate of approx. 6.5%) in comparison to women (age standardised rate of approx. 4.8%) [2]. Rates are also higher in population priority groups including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, those living in areas of greater socioeconomic disadvantage, and people living in remote and very remote areas.

Common risk factors for cardiovascular disease include behavioural risk factors such as smoking, poor diet, insufficient physical activity, and alcohol consumption; and biomedical risk factors including high blood pressure, abnormal blood lipids (e.g., high cholesterol), diabetes, and overweight and obesity [2].