Abstract

The list of factors associated with a risk of increased atherosclerosis and its consequences is long and is lengthening. But most of the predictive power for ischaemic heart disease (IHD) resides in a small number which includes age, the plasma-cholesterol concentration, the blood pressure and cigarette smoking.^{1 2} Of these, age (though not necessarily ageing) is immutable; the other three factors offer more scope for intervention.