Risk and protective factors

The risk factors that contribute to cardiovascular disease (CVD) among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are complex. They reflect a combination of broad historical, social, cultural, and economic factors, as well as the more commonly described behavioural and biomedical risk factors [24669].

Behavioural or ‘lifestyle’ risk factors common to many types of CVD include:

smoking tobacco
being inactive
an unhealthy diet [52986].

Biomedical risk factors shared by many types of CVD include:

high cholesterol
high blood pressure
diabetes
being overweight [52986].

A high proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people report having one or more of these risk factors [32052][28321][27711].

Further risk factors that an individual cannot control include:

older age [52986]
gender – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander females experience more CVD than males [50639]
ethnic background – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have more risk because of lifestyle factors
family history [52986].

A person’s risk of developing CVD depends on the joint effect of the above risk factors, so risk assessment is vital for the early detection and prevention of CVD. The 2023 Australian guideline for assessing and managing cardiovascular disease and associated Australian CVD risk calculator assist clinical decisions in assessing and treating CVD [52990]. The guideline and calculator have specific recommendations, resources and practice directives for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people based on their risk, and recognises the impact of dispossession, discrimination, disadvantage and disempowerment on health.