4-6

4-6. Cardiovascular disease prevalence

In 2017, around one in 12 (7.8%) South Australians aged 18 years or more were living with cardiovascular disease, defined here as ever had doctor-diagnosed heart attack, angina, heart disease and/or stroke¹.
The rate varies between local health networks (LHNs) from 3.8% in the Barossa Hills Fleurieu LHN to 10.4% in both the Central Adelaide and Riverland Mallee Coorong LHNs.
The prevalence of cardiovascular disease in metropolitan Adelaide (8.3%) is statistically significantly higher than the Country SA rate of 6.5%¹.
No statistically significant underlying trend over the last decade in the proportion of people reporting living with cardiovascular disease was identified, either for the metropolitan Adelaide or Country SA time series¹.

4-6-1

* Relative Standard Error is between 25% and 50%. Please treat the estimate with caution.

Data source: SA Health 2018

In 2017, the proportion of the population aged 18 years and over living with cardiovascular disease - defined here as ever had doctor-diagnosed heart attack, angina, heart disease and/or stroke - was higher for males (9.6%) than females (6.3%)¹.
The prevalence of cardiovascular disease is also correlated with age¹.

4-6-2

Data source: SA Health 2018

In 2017, there was a statistically significant inverse correlation between the proportion of people aged 18 years and over living with cardiovascular disease - defined here as ever had doctor-diagnosed heart attack, angina, heart disease and/or stroke - and the socio-economic status of the area in which they live¹.

4-6-3

Data source: SA Health 2018

Data presented here is from the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ 2017-18 National Health Survey for people of all ages who have been told by a doctor or nurse that they have heart, stroke and/or vascular disease. It is not directly comparable with data presented in 4-6-1 to 4-6-3 above from the state-wide survey.
This measure includes the following current and long-term conditions: oedema; heart failure; diseases of the arteries, arterioles and capillaries; and the following conditions whether or not current and long-term: ischaemic heart diseases (angina, heart attack and other ischaemic heart diseases); cerebrovascular diseases (stroke and other cerebrovascular diseases)².
The national survey finds that less than one in twenty (4.4%, age standardised) of the South Australian population is living with cardiovascular disease².
The South Australian rate is effectively equivalent to the Australian average (4.2%, age standardised)².

**Prevalence of heart, stroke and vascular disease (all ages), 2017–18 (age-standardised)**
State/Territory	%
Northern Territory	2.6%
New South Wales	3.9%
Queensland	4.1%
Western Australia	4.2%
South Australia	4.4%
Australian Capital Territory	4.5%
Victoria	4.6%
Tasmania	4.7%
Australia	4.2%

4-6-4

Data source: ABS 2018

The prevalence of heart and circulatory problems/diseases in the South Australian Aboriginal population (aged two years and over) was 12.5% in 2012-13, only very slightly below the national average for Aboriginal people of 12.7%³.
Heart and circulatory problems/diseases are defined here as hypertensive disease; ischaemic heart diseases; other heart diseases; tachycardia; cerebrovascular diseases; oedema; diseases of the arteries, arterioles and capillaries; diseases of the veins, lymphatic vessels, other diseases of the circulatory system; and symptoms and signs involving the circulatory system³.
The 12.5% of Aboriginal people in South Australia living with cardiovascular disease is substantially higher than the all-person prevalence for this state (see 4-6-4 above). However, readers should note that figures are not directly comparable as the figures in 4-6-4 are age-standardised³.
Compared to Aboriginal people in other states and territories, South Australia was ranked fourth highest for this indicator³.

**Cardiovascular disease prevalence --Aboriginal people (aged 2+ years), 2012-13**
State/Territory	%
Australian Capital Territory	8.8%
Victoria	10.0%
Queensland	11.9%
Western Australia	12.2%
South Australia	12.5%
New South Wales	13.3%
Northern Territory	14.7%
Tasmania	15.2%
Australia	12.7%

4-6-5

Data source: ABS 2014

Based on South Australian Monitoring and Surveillance System customised extract 2018, Prevention and Population Health, SA Health, Adelaide, 16 August 2018.
Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS 2018), ‘Table 2.3 Summary health characteristics — States and territories, Proportion of persons’, National Health Survey: First Results, 2017-18, cat. no. 4364.0.55.001, 12 December 2018.
Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS 2014), 'Table 3.3 Selected health characteristics, by State/Territory, Proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons,' Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health survey: Updated results 2012-13, cat. no. 4727.0.55.006, viewed 19 August 2014.