Person—absolute cardiovascular disease risk assessment result recorded indicator, yes/no code N

Identifying and definitional attributes

• Health, Standard 06/09/2018
• Indigenous, Standard 22/10/2018

Data element concept attributes

Identifying and definitional attributes

• Health, Standard 21/11/2013
• Indigenous, Standard 21/11/2013

Source and reference attributes

Value domain attributes

Identifying and definitional attributes

• ACT Health (retired), Candidate 19/07/2018
• Commonwealth Department of Health, Incomplete 22/01/2015
• Community Services (retired), Standard 27/04/2007
• Disability, Standard 07/10/2014
• Early Childhood, Standard 21/05/2010
• Health, Standard 01/03/2005
• Homelessness, Standard 23/08/2010
• Housing assistance, Standard 23/08/2010
• Independent Hospital Pricing Authority, Standard 01/11/2012
• Indigenous, Standard 16/09/2014
• National Health Performance Authority (retired), Retired 01/07/2016
• Tasmanian Health, Standard 27/05/2020
• WA Health, Standard 19/03/2015

Representational attributes

Data element attributes

Collection and usage attributes

CODE 1   Yes

A person has had CVD risk assessment recorded.

CODE 2   No

A person has not had CVD risk assessment recorded.

The formula and colour-coded charts used for CVD risk assessment in Australia have been developed by the National Vascular Disease Prevention Alliance (NVDPA) and endorsed by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and the National Health and Medical Research Council.

Based on evidence and clinical consensus, it has been suggested that calculation of absolute CVD risk is not necessary for certain population groups who are known to be at increased risk (NVDPA 2012). These groups are:

• persons with diabetes and >60 years old;
• persons with diabetes with microalbuminuria (i.e. >20 mcg/min for all persons, or UACR >2.5 mg/mmol for males, >3.5 mg/mmol for females);
• persons with moderate or severe chronic kidney disease (i.e. persistent proteinuria or eGFR < 45 mL/min/1.73m2);
• persons with a previous diagnosis of familial hypercholesterolaemia;
• persons with a systolic blood pressure result of ≥180 mmHg or a diastolic blood pressure result of ≥110 mmHg;
• persons with serum total cholesterol >7.5 mmol/L; or
• persons aged 75 and over.

People known to be in one of groups should be counted as having had CVD risk assessment recorded.

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.

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

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

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

National Vascular Disease Prevention Alliance, 2012. Guidelines for the management of absolute cardiovascular disease risk. Melbourne: National Stroke Foundation. Viewed 28 August 2018, https://informme.org.au/en/Guidelines/Guidelines-for-the-assessment-and-management-of-absolute-CVD-risk

Relational attributes