Primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases: Differences between European and United States guidelines

Abstract

European Society of Cardiology guidelines on primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases were published in 2016. Those guidelines are to some extent different from current set of American College of Cardiology/ American Heart Association guidelines dealing with primary prevention. Both United States and European guidelines agree that primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases is essential. Guidelines ask for individual risk calculation and agree that LDL-cholesterol is directly related to cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality and should be adequately treated. However, there is substantial difference in risk estimation and treatment strategies in patients without established cardiovascular disease. The purpose of this short review is to underline similarities and especially difference between current primary prevention guidelines in United States and Europe, and to address advantages and disadvantages of each of these strategies.