[Implications of the REACH registry for cardiologists]

Cardiovascular disease represents the most important health problem in western countries and is an emerging cause of mortality in developing countries. In contrast with the results obtained in randomized clinical trials, the REACH registry provides information from the real world on patient profiles and the extent to which cardiovascular risk factors are being controlled in a broad population of patients at high risk of developing atherothrombotic events. Coronary artery disease patients are the largest subgroup in the registry and adherence to guidelines for clinical intervention appears to be higher in these patients than in other patients with vascular disease.