Absolute cardiovascular disease risk assessment result categories

Identifying and definitional attributes

Metadata item type:Help on this termProperty
Synonymous names:Help on this termCVD risk assessment categories
METEOR identifier:Help on this term585339
Registration status:Help on this term
Definition:Help on this term

Categorisation of absolute cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk assessment.

Absolute cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk assessment is the probability, expressed as percentage, that a person may experience a cardiovascular event within a specified period. For example, the 5-year absolute risk of 15% means 'a 15% chance that an individual will experience a cardiovascular event within the next 5 years'. The calculation, using multiple risk factor results, estimates a person's overall risk of CVD as opposed to the traditional approaches using individual risk factors such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure.

Three different categories are recognised:

  • High, more than 15% chance of a cardiovascular event in the next 5 years
  • Moderate, 10-15% chance of a cardiovascular event in the next 5 years
  • Low, less than 10% chance of a cardiovascular event in the next 5 years
Context:Help on this term

The formula (and associated colour-coded charts) used for CVD risk assessment in Australia have been developed by the National Vascular Disease Prevention Alliance (NVDPA) using Framingham equations. Details of the formula can be found in:
National Vascular Disease Prevention Alliance 2012. Guidelines for the management of absolute cardiovascular disease risk. Melbourne: National Stroke Foundation.

Property group:Help on this termPerformance indicators

Collection and usage attributes

Collection methods:Help on this term

Input information for CVD risk assessment is collected by general practitioners and other health care providers.

Comments:Help on this term

Absolute CVD risk assessment is the probability, expressed as percentage, that a person may experience a cardiovascular event within a specified period. For example, the 5-year absolute risk of 15% means 'a 15% chance that the individual will experience a cardiovascular event within the next 5 years'. The calculation estimates a person's overall risk of CVD based on multiple risk factors as opposed to the traditional approaches using individual risk factors such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure.

Assessment of CVD risk based on multiple risk factors is more accurate due to the cumulative effect of CVD risk factors. In view of this additive predictive power, it is reasonable to expect that any prevention or management decisions based on this risk assessment tool should help improve CVD outcomes.

Source and reference attributes

Submitting organisation:Help on this term

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

Origin:Help on this term

Indigenous Primary Health Care Key Performance Indicators

Reference documents:Help on this term

National Vascular Disease Prevention Alliance, 2012. Guidelines for the management of absolute cardiovascular disease risk. Melbourne. Viewed 26 June 2019, https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/images/uploads/publications/Absolute-CVD-Risk-Full-Guidelines.pdf

Relational attributes

Data Element Concepts implementing this property:Help on this term
Person—absolute cardiovascular disease risk assessment result categories