[Cardiovascular risk factors: an update].
Cardiology is the field of medicine where therapeutic progress has been the most outstanding during the last decades. But this progress can only be maintained if two conditions are fulfilled: firstly, patients should have time to access to acute care, secondly, if they survive, they should not recur. Today, this is possible because of the progress of primary and secondary prevention. Knowledge of risk factors is important and efficiency of therapeutic and preventive strategies has been demonstrated. As reported in recent studies, action against a limited set of classical risk factors would allow to reduce by half at least cardiovascular attack rates. To reach this goal, global cardiovascular risk should be considered. However, efficient results will only be obtained if these preventives measures are implemented as a deal between the physician and his patient, and if they last longer enough.
Amouyel
Philippe
P
Service épidémiologie et santé publique, Université de Lille 2, Inserm U508, institut Pasteur de Lille, 59019 Lille Cedex. philippe.amouyel@pasteur-lille.fr
D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors