title: Absolute risk of cardiovascular disease events, and blood pressure- and lipid-lowering therapy in Australia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To quantify absolute cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and treatment in Australian adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional representative study of 9564 people aged 18 years or more who had participated in the 2011-12 Australian National Health Measures Survey (response rate for those aged 45-74 years: 46.5%).
  
  
  METHODS
  Prior CVD was ascertained and 5-year absolute risk of a primary CVD event calculated (using the Australian National Vascular Disease Prevention Alliance algorithm; categories: low [< 10%], moderate [10-15%], and high [> 15%] risk) on the basis of data on medical history, risk factors and medications, derived from interviews, physical measurements, and blood and urine samples.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Absolute CVD risk increased with age and was higher among men than women. Overall, 19.9% (95% CI, 18.5-21.3%) of Australians aged 45-74 years had a high absolute risk of a future CVD event (an estimated 1 445 000 people): 8.7% (95% CI, 7.8-9.6%) had prior CVD (estimated 634 000 people) and 11.2% (95% CI, 10.2-12.2%) had high primary CVD risk (estimated 811 000 people). A further 8.6% (95% CI, 7.4-9.8%, estimated 625 000) were at moderate primary CVD risk. Among those with prior CVD, 44.2% (95% CI, 36.8-51.6%) were receiving blood pressure- and lipid-lowering medications, 35.4% (95% CI, 27.8-43.0%) were receiving only one of these, and 20.4% (95% CI, 13.9-26.9%) were receiving neither. Corresponding figures for high primary CVD risk were 24.3% (95% CI, 18.3-30.3%); 28.7% (95% CI, 22.7-34.7%); and 47.1% (95% CI, 39.9-54.3%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  About one-fifth of the Australian population aged 45-74 years (about 1.4 million individuals) were estimated to have a high absolute risk of a future CVD event. Most (estimated 970 000) were not receiving currently recommended combination blood pressure- and lipid-lowering therapy, indicating substantial potential for health gains by increasing routine assessment and treatment according to absolute CVD risk.
authors.affiliation: National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT emily.banks@anu.edu.au.
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Banks
authors.affiliation: Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC.
authors.forename: Simon R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Crouch
authors.affiliation: National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT.
authors.forename: Rosemary J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Korda
authors.affiliation: National Heart Foundation of Australia, Melbourne, VIC.
authors.forename: Bill
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stavreski
authors.affiliation: Deakin University, Melbourne, VIC.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Page
authors.affiliation: National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT.
authors.forename: Katherine A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Thurber
authors.affiliation: National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Grenfell
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001315:Australia; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000592:standards*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012308:Risk Management; D017678:Sex Distribution
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents