[The best of epidemiology and cardiovascular prevention in 2005]

It is difficult to summarize in a few pages the wealth of information appeared during the year 2005 in the field of epidemiology and cardiovascular prevention. The general epidemiological data on the evolutionary tendencies of coronary mortality and morbidity make it possible to underline the effectiveness of the control of the great risk factors within the framework of the primary prevention. Although lipids and diabetes have still this year held the front of the scene through many trials, this analysis is also focused on smoking, subject more and more tackled in the cardiologic journals, and to which a larger attention should be paid in our daily practice. The Paris Prospective Study I brought new data concerning the early identification of the subjects at risk of sudden death, starting from the analysis of the evolution of heart rate profile during and after exercise. Is the concept of metabolic syndrome a phenomenon of mode or does it constitute in itself an autonomous prognostic factor beyond the risk related to the plurality of the factors which define it? The cardiologist will have to be interested more and more in the living conditions of his patients and in particular with the environmental factors such as the air pollution, who seems to have a considerable impact on the incidence of the acute coronary events. Lastly, the ADMA (asymmetric dimethylarginine), seems a possible new marker of cardiovascular risk, but its real prognostic interest remains to be defined.