[Cardiovascular risk patient--how much prevention is necessary and rational?].

Cardiovascular primary prevention may consist of strategies concerning the entire population (population strategy) or individuals at high risk for a cardiovascular event (high risk strategy). Clinicians are mainly involved in the identification and treatment of high risk individuals. Even more so, preventive measures should be focused on patients who are already affected by coronary artery disease (CAD) or other manifestations of atherosclerosis (secondary prevention). According to the beneficial effect anticipated by cardiovascular prevention, there should be a priority list guiding the therapeutic measures: first priority therapy should be reserved for patients with existing CAD, then persons without CAD symptoms at high risk for disease manifestation due to an accumulation of coronary risk factors (hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, smoking, diabetes mellitus, lack of physical activity, adipositas) should be treated. Third priority for preventive therapy for cardiovascular diseases is reserved for asymptomatic 1st degree relatives of CAD patients with an early onset CAD. Fourth priority have persons who are close relatives of high risk individuals, and fifth priority prevention is cardiovascular risk factor assessment in the general population. Estimation of the risk for future cardiovascular events is very important because it provides a rational basis for the necessity and relevance of a treatment strategy. In this review, several therapeutic options for cardiovascular prevention are described and discussed.