Unsatisfactory cardiovascular risk control - opportunities for family medicine

Although theoretically very effective and apparently quite straightforward, cardiovascular prevention leaves much to be desired in practice. Several reasons, including ethical, conceptual, psychological, and operative pitfalls (lifestyle changes are mostly ignored; drug therapy is too often prescribed with no good reason, and performed in an episodic or on/off way) are presented in this essay. Discussed are the grounds of these aberrations and suggested are some intuitive solutions, best achievable in family practice.