Primary prevention of myocardial infarction: putting the evidence to use.

摘要

Since the discovery of coronary artery obstruction by Edward Jenner in the 1780s and the introduction of the concept of MI by Sir Thomas Lewis in 1934, our understanding of the causes of and methods of preventing MI has grown tremendously. For asymptomatic high-risk patients (primary prevention)6 and patients with established coronary artery disease (secondary prevention) , prevention has relied on pharmacologic treatment coupled with lifestyle changes to normalize the major cardiovascular risk factors of hypertension, dyslipidemia, smoking, sedentary lifestyle, obesity, and hyperglycemia. These preventive measures along with improved inpatient and outpatient cardiac care have resulted in a decline in mortality associated with MI.