Multiple risk factors have an interactive or cumulative effect on disease risk. The more risk factors a person has, and the greater the degree of each risk factor, the higher the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, including coronary heart disease, stroke or angina (AIHW 2005, Poulter 1999).
The increased risk of cardiovascular disease associated with multiple risk factors presents an increased risk of poorer health outcomes, reduced life expectancy and death (Li et al. 2018, Berry et al. 2012).
One recent study reported that men and women aged 50 who have a favourable lifestyle—overweight but not obese, light / moderate drinker, non-smoker and participating in vigorous physical activity—lived between 7 and 15 years longer than those with an unfavourable lifestyle (O’Doherty et al. 2016). Interventions that reduce levels of multiple risk factors have been shown to help prevent cardiovascular disease in high-risk groups (Ebrahim & Davey Smith 2000).
Based on pooled data from the ABS 2014–15 and 2017–18 National Health Surveys:
- almost all Australian adults (99%) had at least 1 of 6 selected cardiovascular risk factors—either inadequate fruit and vegetable consumption, insufficient physical activity, daily smoking, overweight or obese, uncontrolled high blood pressure or self-reported diabetes (AIHW analysis of ABS 2016 and ABS 2019)
- 1 in 3 adults (31%) had 2 of these risk factors in combination, while 57% had 3 or more risk factors in combination, including 3.6% who had 5 or 6 risk factors (Figure 1)
- men (62%) were more likely than women (50%) to have 3 or more risk factors in combination.