{"title":"Primordial prevention: a life-course approach to global cardiovascular health.","authors":"Hooi Min Lim, Darwin R Labarthe","doi":"10.1136/heartjnl-2025-326752","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Primordial prevention is the strategy of preventing occurrence of cardiovascular risk factors from early life and promoting favourable life course trajectories of cardiovascular health. While the term 'primordial prevention' was introduced by Strasser in 1978, representing a society-wide strategy to prevent epidemics of cardiovascular risk factors, the concept has been implemented far less to date than is needed to reduce the global cardiovascular burden. The primary purpose of this review is to increase understanding of the concept and strategy of primordial prevention for reducing the burden of cardiovascular disease and its relation to cardiovascular health. We discuss the influence of upstream adverse social and structural determinants on the development of traditional cardiovascular risk throughout the life course. We summarise recent trial evidence of intervention effectiveness and highlight policy and practice opportunities that can achieve the potential of primordial prevention as a sustainable and equitable strategy for promoting cardiovascular health across the life course.</p>","PeriodicalId":12835,"journal":{"name":"Heart","volume":" ","pages":"1063-1073"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4000,"publicationDate":"2026-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Heart","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1136/heartjnl-2025-326752","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"CARDIAC & CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEMS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Primordial prevention is the strategy of preventing occurrence of cardiovascular risk factors from early life and promoting favourable life course trajectories of cardiovascular health. While the term 'primordial prevention' was introduced by Strasser in 1978, representing a society-wide strategy to prevent epidemics of cardiovascular risk factors, the concept has been implemented far less to date than is needed to reduce the global cardiovascular burden. The primary purpose of this review is to increase understanding of the concept and strategy of primordial prevention for reducing the burden of cardiovascular disease and its relation to cardiovascular health. We discuss the influence of upstream adverse social and structural determinants on the development of traditional cardiovascular risk throughout the life course. We summarise recent trial evidence of intervention effectiveness and highlight policy and practice opportunities that can achieve the potential of primordial prevention as a sustainable and equitable strategy for promoting cardiovascular health across the life course.
期刊介绍:
Heart is an international peer reviewed journal that keeps cardiologists up to date with important research advances in cardiovascular disease. New scientific developments are highlighted in editorials and put in context with concise review articles. There is one free Editor’s Choice article in each issue, with open access options available to authors for all articles. Education in Heart articles provide a comprehensive, continuously updated, cardiology curriculum.