Prevention of cardiovascular diseases

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are socially significant diseases due to high morbidity and loss of people of working age. In Bulgaria, they are the leading cause of mortality among the population and are a consequence of the effect of cardiovascular risk factors. The draft of the National Health Strategy (NHS) 2021–2030 reports on their wide distribution, as well as on the insufficient knowledge, skills and motivation for their prevention and control. The purpose of this review is to address the prevention of cardiovascular disease, which is a significant problem worldwide. Prevention goals for patients with established cardiovascular disease and those at high risk include smoking cessation, healthy eating, physical activity, and lowering body mass index. There are various methods that are part of health promotion to reduce CVD risks. These methods include motivational interviewing, non-pharmacological means, the use of certain medications for CVD prevention, as well as physical activity. Strategies for effective primary prevention refer to engaging the patient to change their lifestyle and identifying risk factors, while secondary prevention is aimed at activities to detect the disease early and to slow down its progression. It is necessary to create a strategy for timely preventive actions with a view to preventing the negative influence of risk factors and improving people‘s heart health.