This year, the European Society of Cardiology held its annual congress online, highlighting the latest research aimed at advancing cardiovascular medicine. High on the agenda were the latest findings around risk factors for cardiac events.
Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. However, as much as 90% of the risk of a heart attack, stroke, or peripheral arterial disease (PAD) can be explained by smoking, poor eating habits, lack of physical activity, abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, raised blood lipid levels, diabetes, psychosocial factors, or alcohol.
With this in mind, the ESC launched its latest guidelines on cardiovascular disease prevention in clinical practice at its annual congress. The guidelines1 focused on atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD), which affects the arteries. As the inside of the arteries become clogged up by fatty deposits, they can no longer supply enough blood to the body. This process is the main cause of heart attacks, strokes, PAD and sudden death where arteries become completely blocked.
Recommendations were provided for healthy adults of all ages, as well as patients with established CVD or diabetes. Identifying who will benefit most from preventive treatments, such as blood pressure and lipid lowering therapies, is central to prevention efforts and therefore the estimation of CVD risk is the cornerstone of the guidelines.
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