Guidelines for the management of absolute cardiovascular disease risk

Recommendations for assessing and managing absolute CVD risk in adults

In Australia, 64% of the adult population have three or more modifiable risk factors. As CVD is largely preventable, an approach focusing on comprehensive risk assessment will enable effective management of identified modifiable risk factors through lifestyle changes and, where needed, pharmacological therapy.

Absolute CVD risk in the context of these guidelines refers to the likelihood of a person experiencing a cardiovascular event within the next five years. These guidelines incorporate the previous Guidelines for the Assessment of Absolute Cardiovascular Disease Risk and provide additional guidance on the management of CVD risk in a primary prevention setting in all adults over 45 years of age (35 years for people of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent)

This 2023 Guideline incorporates a new risk calculator and updated evidence-based recommendations on assessing and managing CVD Risk to reduce cardiovascular events.

_{This guideline is endorsed by the RACGP.
This guideline is published by the Stroke Foundation.}