The CVD risk calculator a focus on prevention
Cardiovascular disease is largely preventable, and a cost-effective approach to reducing the burden in Australia has been to focus on early medical intervention in those who are considered to be at the highest risk. The National Vascular Disease Prevention Alliance (NVDPA) was formed to reduce the CVD burden in Australia, and led the development of the absolute CVD risk calculator, which was launched in 2012.3
Risk calculators are tools developed for use by physicians in clinical settings to predict the risk of a clinical event, and aid in medical decision-making. The CVD risk calculator uses information on traditional risk factors such as gender, age, blood pressure, blood cholesterol levels, smoking history, and diabetes status to estimate a person’s risk of having a heart attack or stroke within the next 5 years.
Medical guidelines recommend prescribing lipid-lowering and/or blood pressure-lowering treatments in those found to be at
