ABSTRACT
The traditional risk factors for cardiovascular (CV) disease, namely, cigarette smoking, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes mellitus, exhibit a dose-dependent and synergistic effect on CV risk. Thus, risk stratifi cation has to be based on a global assessment of risk factors. Scoring algorithms and risk charts have been developed to this end and they are very effi cient in risk stratifi cation. Global risk assessment allows the identifi cation of patients at low risk (10-year risk of CV events <10%), high risk (10-year risk of CV events >20%), and intermediate risk (10-year risk of CV events 10-20%). In patients at low risk it is important to achieve and maintain an optimal lifestyle. At the other extreme, in patients at high risk, who have a risk equivalent to that of patients with established CV disease, the pharmacological treatment of risk factors is needed in addition to the implementation of an optimal lifestyle. Patients at intermediate risk represent a heterogeneous population that needs to be re-stratifi ed: further studies are warranted to establish which biomarkers or bio-imaging techniques are most effi cient to this end.
