This measure is the percent (or prevalence) of cardiovascular disease among adults in Travis County.  This prevalence rate includes people diagnosed by a doctor as having had a heart attack, myocardial infarction, angina, coronary heard disease, or stroke.  It is from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), a yearly telephone survey conducted by the Texas Department of State Health Services.

For 2021, the percentage of adults with cardiovascular disease in Travis County (5%) which is about the same as the percentage of cardiovascular disease for Texas as a whole (5.1%).  

A 10% decrease from the 2018 prevalence (7%) would mean that no more than 6.3% of residents report cardiovascular disease by 2023.

Cardiovascular disease risk is impacted by many factors, including age, smoking status, healthy eating, and physical activity.  Austin Public Health (APH) and other City Departments are working on efforts to reduce tobacco use, increase consumption of fruits and vegetables, and increase opportunities for physical activity. In addition, APH conducts community-based screenings for blood pressure and blood glucose.

Please Note*: The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) collects data from non-institutionalized U.S. adult residents regarding their health-related risk behaviors, chronic health conditions, and use of preventive services.  The primary purpose of the survey is to provide population-based estimates for chronic disease and the associated risk factors for Travis County residents. As a result, data from BRFSS are estimates of the prevalence of any specified condition.

The percentage of adults with cardiovascular disease has increased from 2014 until the peak prevalence value in 2020 (7.1%). From 2018 to 2019, there was a greater than 30% decrease in the prevalence of residents with cardiovascular disease.  The percent prevalence for 2019 is closer to the lower values seen in 2014 and 2015. However, there was a greater than 30% increase from 2019 to 2020. The rate decreased to 5.1% in 2021.

Note: To see the underlying data for this chart, please select the "View Source Data" link to the left.

To allow for more extensive data analysis, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) years 2018-2021 were combined to produce the data visualizations seen below.  A higher percentage of adults with cardiovascular disease is seen with increased age.  Employed individuals have lower prevalence.  Prevalence decreases for college graduates in comparison to those with less than a college degree.  Additionally, with increasing household income, there is a decrease in prevalence of cardiovascular disease.