Prevention of Coronary Artery Disease

Cardiologic practices are an important contributor to the cost of medical care today. Combining the high prevalence of cardiovascular disease with medical and surgical interventions that involve expensive forms of technology creates high costs. There has been much discussion of how to improve the quality of cardiologic practices, even with the hope of reducing medical costs. Some cardiologic procedures have been carefully evaluated, such as coronary-artery bypass surgery1 2 3 and coronary angioplasty with thrombolytic therapy.4 5 6 7 All efforts to define a high quality of practice and the best uses for the abundant and expensive forms of technology are to the good. What . . .