The rapidly growing epidemic of cardiovascular risk factors such as diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and obesity is causing increasing concerns for the future public cardiovascular health. This uncontrolled epidemic has gone far beyond the Western countries and is now seriously threatening the underdeveloped societies that are not equipped with advanced and expensive therapeutic modalities. While traditional strategies including public education and awareness for the prevention of risk factors should remain a high priority, the need for adopting new preventive strategies for early detection and intervention are now felt more than ever.

As practiced in the past few decades, cardiologists are predominantly focused on taking care of patients after the event occurs. While treating symptomatic patients remains the highest priority, taking care of pre-symptomatic individuals must be viewed equally important. Indeed, the ground for improving outcomes and increasing survival is much greater in pre-symptomatic patients than in symptomatic patients.

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As practiced in the past few decades, cardiologists are predominantly focused on taking care of patients after the event occurs. While treating symptomatic patients remains the highest priority, taking care of pre-symptomatic individuals must be viewed equally important. Indeed, the ground for improving outcomes and increasing survival is much greater in pre-symptomatic patients than in symptomatic patients. It is well-known that in a large group of prospective symptomatic patients, the first symptom is sudden cardiac death and in the majority of the remaining, it presents as an acute coronary syndrome with an irreversible damage to the heart. With the growing understanding of preclinical atherosclerosis and recognition of factors involved in  patient's vulnerability (plaque, blood, myocardium), the window of opportunity for early detection and prevention widens. To take advantage of the new opportunities, adoption of new preemptive preventive strategies is urgently needed.