Cardiovascular prevention
Protecting your heart to live longer and better
Preventing cardiovascular disease means more than avoiding a heart attack. It means living longer and, above all, spending more years in good health.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cardiovascular disease is the main threat to health and longevity and the leading cause of death in Italy and worldwide.However, a substantial part of this risk depends on cardiovascular risk factors that we can identify, manage and modify.
Why is cardiovascular prevention so important?
Cardiovascular prevention is about more than preventing heart attacks.
Cardiovascular disease can affect the heart, brain and entire vascular system, with significant consequences for both length and quality of life.
Heart attacks, strokes, heart failure and arterial disease can reduce independence, physical ability and everyday well-being. This is why effective prevention must begin before disease develops.
Protecting your heart means caring for your future health today.
What are the cardiovascular risk factors?
A cardiovascular risk factor is a characteristic or condition that increases the likelihood of developing heart or blood vessel disease over time.
Some factors cannot be changed. Many others can be prevented, corrected or controlled.
Nonmodifiable cardiovascular risk factors
Age
Sex
Family history and genetic predisposition
Modifiable cardiovascular risk factors
High blood pressure
High cholesterol
Smoking
Diabetes
Overweight and obesity
Unhealthy diet
Stress
Physical inactivity
When several factors are present at the same time, overall cardiovascular risk increases exponentially. This is why looking at a single measurement is not enough: the person's overall profile must be considered.
From risk factors to atherosclerosis
High blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, smoking and other conditions can contribute over time to arterial damage and the development of atherosclerosis.
Atherosclerosis involves the buildup of lipids and other substances in artery walls, with the gradual formation of atherosclerotic plaque. It can develop slowly and remain without obvious clinical signs for a long time.
When a plaque significantly narrows an artery or ruptures, it can obstruct blood flow and contribute to cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and strokes.
Prevention therefore begins long before an acute event, by identifying and managing the factors that promote cardiovascular disease.
Cardiovascular risk is not determined by a single number
Blood pressure, cholesterol, blood glucose and body weight should not be considered in isolation.
The same measurement may mean different things in people of different ages, with different family histories, habits and clinical conditions. Modern prevention must therefore be personalized and based on an assessment of overall cardiovascular risk.
Cardiovascular risk calculation uses validated tools and models that bring together several pieces of information. Cardiovascular risk charts can support this assessment, but the result must be interpreted in the context of each person's history and characteristics.
Primary and secondary prevention
Primary cardiovascular prevention concerns people who have not yet developed cardiovascular disease. Its aim is to identify and manage risk factors before a heart attack, stroke or other clinical event occurs.
Secondary cardiovascular prevention concerns people who have already been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease or experienced a cardiovascular event. The aim is to reduce the risk of disease progression or further events through follow-up, lifestyle measures and treatments prescribed by a physician.
In both cases, addressing modifiable factors is an essential part of care.
Five factors can change many years of our lives
A large international study by the Global Cardiovascular Risk Consortium, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2025, analyzed data from more than 2 million people in 133 cohorts across 39 countries and six continents.
The researchers assessed five important modifiable risk factors:
1
Blood pressure
2
Cholesterol
3
Body weight
4
Diabetes
5
Smoking
The comparison started at age 50, examining the absence of all five factors versus their simultaneous presence.
How can you protect your heart? It is never too late for prevention
The same study showed that modifying risk factors in middle age is associated with additional years of life.
Managing hypertension was associated with the greatest number of additional years free of cardiovascular disease, while changing smoking habits was associated with the greatest increase in years of life.
The benefit increases when several factors are managed at the same time.
How can cardiovascular disease be prevented?
Cardiovascular disease prevention follows three essential steps.
Understand
Know your risk factors, personal medical history and family history of cardiovascular disease.
Assess
Evaluate your overall cardiovascular risk, rather than focusing on a single measurement or test.
Act
Take action early through lifestyle, nutrition, physical activity and, when indicated, personalized treatment.
When should you assess your heart health?
A cardiovascular assessment should not depend solely on the appearance of symptoms.
It can be particularly important if you have a family history of heart attack, stroke or other cardiovascular disease; high blood pressure; high cholesterol; diabetes; a smoking habit; excess weight; physical inactivity; or other risk factors.
The appropriate tests and follow-up are not necessarily the same for everyone. They should be chosen based on age, personal history, clinical conditions and overall risk profile.
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Learn moreCardiovascular prevention and longevity
The five main modifiable risk factors considered by the Global Cardiovascular Risk Consortium are associated with approximately 50% of the global burden of cardiovascular disease.
Managing them is therefore one of the most practical foundations of prevention and healthy longevity.
Cardiovascular prevention is about more than the possibility of living longer. It means creating the conditions to preserve independence, physical ability and quality of life over time.
Managing your risk factors today means investing in your future health.
Understanding your health profile and addressing modifiable factors helps lay the groundwork today for a better life tomorrow.
Explore the relationship between prevention and longevity
Learn more“The best cardiovascular treatment is the one we never have to use, because we prevented the disease before it appeared.”
Prof. Valerio Sanguigni
Scientific sources
Global Cardiovascular Risk Consortium. Global Effect of Cardiovascular Risk Factors on Lifetime Estimates. New England Journal of Medicine. 2025;393:125-138. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2415879.