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Original paper

2016 European guidelines on cardiovascular disease prevention in clinical practice

Authors: Massimo F. Piepoli, Arno W. Hoes, Stefan Agewall, Christian Albus, Carlos Brotons, Alberico L. Catapano, Marie-Therese Cooney, Ugo Corrà, Bernard Cosyns, Christi Deaton, Ian Graham, Michael Stephen Hall, F. D. Richard Hobbs, Maja-Lisa Løchen, Herbert Löllgen, Pedro Marques-Vidal, Joep Perk, Eva Prescott, Josep Redon, Dimitrios J. Richter, Naveed Sattar, Yvo Smulders, Monica Tiberi, H. Bart van der Worp, Ineke van Dis, W. M. Monique Verschuren

DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehw106

Publication date: May 25, 2016

Keywords: Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine

CVD prevention is seen as effective in reducing the impact of CVD whilst the elimination of health risk behaviors would make it possible to prevent at least 80% of CVD. The guidelines consider a lifetime approach and hence people of all ages should be encouraged to adopt or sustain a healthy diet and lifestyle.

The 2016 ESC/EAS guidelines strongly emphasize the importance of CVD prevention both in the general population, by promoting healthy lifestyle behavior, and at  individual level as in those population groups at moderate to high risk of CVD or in patients with established CVD. By tackling  unhealthy lifestyles (e.g. poor-quality diet, physical inactivity, smoking) and by reducing increased levels of risk factors such as elevated blood cholesterol or blood pressure these groups can significantly benefit from reducing the risk of either developing CVD or of aggravating their existing condition.

The Guidelines reemphasize that LDL-cholesterol is the primary treatment target for CVD prevention. This affirms the IPSSAview that it is crucial for people to be aware of their blood cholesterol and in particular their LDL-cholesterol levels, a key risk factor in the development of CVD.  Blood cholesterol can be easily measured through a simple blood test.