Abstract
BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of death in Malaysia. Knowing the current distribution of 10-year CVD risk among the general population is essential for health planning and targeted interventions. Hence, we aim to determine the prevalence of high 10-year CVD risk among the general adult population in Malaysia and the associated factors. METHODS: We conducted a secondary data analysis of a dataset from a nationwide cross-sectional community-based study with stratified random sampling. Individuals aged ≥ 30 years were included. The 10-year CVD risk was estimated using the Framingham General Cardiovascular Risk Score, which was derived from points depending on sex, age groups, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, untreated systolic blood pressure, treated systolic blood pressure, smoking, and diabetes status. The total points were assigned corresponding risks, and the low, moderate, and high-risk categories were defined as having < 10%, 10-20%, and > 20% 10-year CVD risk, respectively. Complex sample multiple logistic regression was conducted to determine the factors associated with the high-risk group. RESULTS: The number of eligible participants was 827. The prevalence of high 10-year CVD risk was 21.4% (95%: 17.9-25.3), projecting to 3.6 million people. People with secondary education (aOR: 0.38) and tertiary education (aOR: 0.31) had lower odds of a high 10-year risk than those without formal or primary education. In contrast, inadequate sleep (aOR: 1.49), physical inactivity (aOR: 2.01), moderate physical activity (aOR: 1.79), and fatty liver (aOR: 2.23) were positively associated with a high 10-year CVD risk. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of high 10-year CVD risk among the general adult population in Malaysia is high. Lower education level, sleep inadequacy, physical inactivity, and fatty liver are independent factors associated with a high 10-year CVD risk. Health policymakers, programme managers, and clinicians should screen, identify, and treat people with a high 10-year CVD risk to prevent cardiovascular complications.