Ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and stroke are the world’s biggest killers. The good news is that 80% of cardiovascular diseases can be prevented with healthy lifestyle habits. The most effective approach to improve this situation is the reduction of risk factors levels. Small positive shifts of risk factors, across a whole population consistently leads to greater reductions in disease burden than the huge investment to the new drugs and devices including invasive procedures. Convincing evidence has come from Finland, at the end of previous century, where the significant decrease of cardiovascular mortality was attributed in more than 50% to risk factors reduction and 23% to the treatment investments invasive procedures including. Motivation is a key element of cardiovascular prevention. It means in practice non-smoking, support for nutrition and behavior changes, regular and effective physical activities and obesity management mainly. The most effective are programs which support regular physical cardio-training, education concerning right nutrition principles, relaxation, stress and obesity management and sleeping hygiene. Concrete examples of daily menu, adequate exercise proposals and obesity management how to reach recommended risk factors levels are discussed.
