Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cardiovascular Health 2016: Is the Gap Closing?

Abstract

In 2007, State and Federal Governments, together with a number of NGOs, made a commitment to close the life expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians within a generation by 2031[1]. Although there have been some improvements in health indicators since 2006, the life expectancy gap remains wide and at the current rate closure will not be achieved within this timeframe [2,3]. The Indigenous life expectancy is currently estimated to be 69 years for males and 74 years for females, a gap of 11 years for males and 9.5 years for females. Between 2005 and 2012 there was a small reduction in the gap of 0.8 years for males and 0.1 years for females. However, non-Indigenous life expectancy is increasing and it is estimated that Indigenous life expectancy will have to increase by almost 18 years for males and 16 years for females by 2031 to meet this target. Cardiovascular disease remains the major cause of premature death in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) people, with cardiovascular disease accounting for almost one third of the gap in life expectancy. The enormous burden of cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular disease in the Indigenous community has long been recognised as compared to non-Indigenous Australians. [3–5]. Although smoking rates have declined they remain high at 44% in comparison to non-Indigenous rates of !8%. Diabetes is far more common (overall 18% versus 5%, remote 28% versus 5%). Other risk factors which are significantly more common in Aboriginal and Torres Strait islanders are hypertension, obesity, chronic kidney disease and psychosocial stress. The prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors is highest in remote and very remote areas compared to Indigenous people who live in non-remote areas. The high burden of cardiovascular