Modifiable Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors among Indigenous Populations

Table 1

Prevalence of cardio-metabolic risk factors among adults.

Group	Population		Life expect.; yrs	CVD		Body weight			High cholest.; %	HT	References
	million	%		Prev.; %	Mortality; %	Over; %	Obese; %	Diabetes; %		%
AU	20.8	100	81	17	9	29	22	4	7	10
White AU	20.3	98	81	17	9	29	22	4	7	10	[13, 114, 115]
Indigenous AU	0.52	2.5	62	22	27	35	27	12	6	15
NZ	4.03	100	80	5	31	36	27	5	8	14
White NZ	2.61	68	81	4	32	32	24	4	8	13	[6, 14, 16, 26, 116]
Indigenous NZ	0.57	15	73	7	32	32	42	8	9	17
U.S.	309	100	78	21	34	33	33	8	16	34
White U.S.	309	100	78	21	34	33	31	6	17	33	[7, 17, 19, 54, 107]
Indigenous U.S.	5.22	1.7	75	23	25	28	42	15	31	30

CVD: cardiovascular disease; HT: Hypertension.
Notes: a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25.0 kg/m² is considered overweight, ≥30.0 kg/m² is considered obese.
AU: CVD, cholesterol, diabetes (includes high sugar levels), and body weight data are self-reported and age-adjusted for adults ≥ 18 yrs [13].
NZ: diabetes = physician diagnosed; high cholesterol: individuals medicated for high total cholesterol [26]; HT = currently taking prescribed blood pressure medication [26]; HT, cholesterol, diabetes, and body weight data are for adults aged ≥ 15 [26]; CVD data are age-adjusted for adults ≥18 [14, 16].
US: diabetes = physician diagnosed; high cholesterol = ≥240 mg/dL [17]; HT = defined as SBP ≥ 140 mmHg and/or DBP ≥ 90 mmHg, use of antihypertensive medication, or physician diagnosed [17]; CVD, hypertension, diabetes, and body weight data are age-adjusted for adults ≥20 [17].