PRIMARY PREVENTION OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE: A REVIEW OF CONTEMPORARY GUIDANCE AND LITERATURE

Cardiovascular disease is a serious and rapidly expanding issue in the worldwide , contributing to about one-third of all fatalities and causing a substantial amount of morbidity. Additionally, it is of urgent concern as developing nations undergo lifestyle changes that bring new cardiovascular disease risk factors, sparking an increase in risk of cardiovascular disease in underdeveloped nations. Since careful risk reduction can lessen the burden of cardiovascular disease, primary prevention should be a top focus for all those who establish health policy. International guidelines are highly consistent about the need to stop smoking, optimise weight, and emphasise the value of exercise. However, guidelines differ slightly about how to treat hypertension and significantly about how to achieve an optimal lipid profile, which is still a concern. While once-popular concepts like the polypill seem to have no in-vivo value, there are still areas of potential future research, such as the advantages of lowering homocysteine and serum urates.

Keywords: Primary prevention, cardiovascular disease, statins, exercise, diet, hypertension, smoking, alcohol, polypill, uric acid