High time to join hands between family medicine and cardiology!

Abstract

In many countries there is a steady deterioration of cardiovascular health, leading to cardiovascular disease (CVD), due to an inappropriate lifestyle. Few people achieve the recommended levels of regular physical activity and correct nutritional habits, or succeed in preventing stress and obesity. Smoking still remains one of the prime risk factors. Recently, an alarming first report has been published on the increase of CVD mortality in younger males and an attenuation of the decrease of mortality in younger women.1 In contrast, the World Health Organization (WHO) states that more than half of the CVD mortality could be prevented through simple methods at the population level. At present the prevention challenge is met through both political and medical initiatives. On the political level, the European Heart Health Charter marks an EU cornerstone agreement, which demands the promotion of a heart-healthy lifestyle in all member states.2 On the medical level, the 2007 guidelines of 10 joint European societies on CVD prevention are the recent contributions to prevention in clinical practice.3 The task of the joint society's prevention committee to implement the 2007 document is in full progress, representing engagement of a broad group of experts from family medicine, cardiology, diabetology, and other disciplines. Important initiatives indeed, but will they reach their ambitious targets? The study of Geller et al. 4 provides clear and sobering reading. In this large cohort of German patients with CVD and/or diabetes mellitus, the management of known risk factors in primary care needs urgent improvement: 9–36% … *Corresponding author. Tel: +46 491 782 000; fax: +46 491 782 643. E-mail address : Joep{at}ltkalmar.se