INTRODUCTION: Hypertension, dyslipidaemia, diabetes, smoking, obesity/over-weight, physical inactivity, and alcohol consumption are well known cardiovascular risk factors. However, relative management status of cardiovascular risk factors across Asia markets was unknown.

OBJECTIVES: To summarize publications that reported screening, awareness, treatment, and control rates for each of the seven cardiovascular risk factors in Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, respectively.

METHODS: A systematic literature review of publications between 2004 and 2018 in English, Chinese, Japanese and Korean was conducted from searches of Medline, Embase, local databases, conference proceedings and grey literature.

RESULTS: A total of 184 manuscripts with 18,842,579 subjects was included. Median screening rates for diabetes, alcohol consumption, smoking, obesity, dyslipidaemia, hypertension, and physical inactivity were 9.5%, 19.4%, 24.9%, 28.8%, 30.8%, 33.6%, and 64.6%, respectively. Awareness, treatment and control rates were reported for dyslipidaemia, hypertension and diabetes only. Median awareness rates for dyslipidaemia, hypertension and diabetes were 21.9%, 47.4%, and 56.9%, respectively. Median treatment rates for dyslipidaemia, hypertension and diabetes were 13.2%, 41.2%, and 52.1%, respectively. Median control rates for dyslipidaemia, hypertension and diabetes were 47.1%, 20.3%, and 29.5%, respectively. Results suggest, for diabetes, despite the median screening rate was the lowest on the list, median awareness and treatment rates were relatively high; yet diabetes were not well controlled. On the other hand, compared to diabetes and hypertension, the median awareness and treatment rates for dyslipidaemia were the lowest, but the median control rate was the highest. However, all rates varied widely across markets, which suggest high heterogeneity and additional analysis is warranted.

CONCLUSIONS: Study results indicate relatively low screening rates for the seven cardiovascular risk factors, and relatively low awareness, treatment and control rates for dyslipidaemia, hypertension and diabetes. Overall, cardiovascular risk factor management across 11 Asian markets was suboptimal.