Strategies for Cardiovascular Risk Assessment and Prevention Over the Life Course

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a leading cause ofmorbidity and mortality worldwide, including in the United States. Fortunately, the major risk factors contributing to the development of atherosclerotic CVD have been de-tailed in epidemiological studies, and randomized clinical trials have demonstrated the benefits of lowering elevated levels of risk factors. Yet, one of the most challenging questions in clinical medicine remains: if and when to treat and how best to treat individuals with 1 CVD risk factors. Article see p 384 Central Tenets of CVD Risk Prediction A few concepts have helped us in identifying strategies to answer the question posed above. First, CVD risk develops over the entire life course as a result of the combined influences of lifestyle-related factors, environmental triggers, and genetic susceptibility. Second, clinically overt CVD