AGE AND SECULAR TRENDS IN RISK-FACTORS FOR CARDIOVASCULAR-DISEASE IN BUSSELTON

Mortality rates from heart disease and stroke in Australia have been f alling for more than 20 years. No completely satisfactory explanations for this trend exist. However, it is believed to be due, at least in part, to changes in the incidence of cardiovascular disease arising fr om changes in the prevalence and severity of risk factors for cardiova scular disease. The adult community of Busselton in Western Australia participated in cross-sectional health surveys every three years from 1966 to 1981. This paper describes secular trends from 1966 to 1981 an d age trends from 25 to 80 years for cardiovascular risk factors in Bu sselton men and women. Downwards secular trends were observed for mean blood pressure and smoking for men and women, upwards trends were obs erved for body mass index in men, and mean cholesterol was approximate ly constant over this period. The age and secular trends were consiste nt with other Australian studies conducted in the 1980s and with overs eas studies. An estimated 67 per cent of the decline in cardiovascular mortality rates among Busselton men and 22 per cent of the decline am ong Busselton women may be attributed to changes in the prevalence of risk factors for cardiovascular disease.