Primary and secondary cardiovascular prevention: Recent advances

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide with 20 million deaths annually. Recent advances in both primary and secondary prevention strategies have shown promising results in reducing the incidence and recurrence of cardiovascular events, but a question of fundamental importance is whether we are effective enough when predicting risk only in those over 40 years of age and onlyfor 10 years. A similarly important question concerns the pathophysiological border between primary and secondary prevention and whether we should reorient our focus to atherosclerosis prevention as a continuous process that becomes clinically apparent later in life. The landscape of CVD prevention is rapidly evolving, with significant advancements in pharmacological treatments, technological innovations, and such lifestyle modifications as adopting a healthy diet, engaging in regular physical activity (PA), ensuring quality sleep, and quitting smoking, being crucial in the prevention of coronaryarterydisease. Integrating these strategies intoclinical practice can enhance the effectiveness of both primary and secondary prevention, ultimately reducing the global burden of cardiovascular disease. This review highlights the latest developments and strategies aimed at diagnosis and preventing CVD. Key areas of focus include the use of novel agents and the role of digital health tools in improving both long-term patient adherence to evidence-based interventions and outcomes. The integration of these advancements into clinical practice has the potential to significantly enhance cardiovascular health and reduce the global burden of CVD.