Preventive cardiology: a progress report

The progress to the current era of preventive cardiology covers a period of more than 40 years, beginning with epidemiological studies on coronary heart disease and other forms of atherosclerotic disease and related factors and progressing through prevention trials and community demonstration projects to the actual implementation of preventive measures by combined population and high-risk strategies. The scientists of the United States have played a leading role in the data collection which forms the scientific basis for preventive cardiology and the fruitful collaboration in the United States between the scientists and governmental, as well as nongovernmental, organizations in the implementation of preventive cardiology has served as a good example for other countries. The Section on Epidemiology and Prevention of the International Society and Federation of Cardiology and the Cardiovascular Diseases Unit of the World Health Organization, working in close liaison, have had key roles in the worldwide promotion of preventive cardiology. The rapid progress in preventive cardiology during the past 4 years, since the 1st International Conference of Preventive Cardiology, has been dominated by a "snowballing" movement toward more intensive application of cholesterol-lowering measures at both the population and the individual level. Promising progress has also been made in the field of nonpharmacological control of elevated blood pressure.