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Prevention of Coronary Heart Disease 2020: If Not Now, When?

Charles Katzenberg

Prevention of Coronary Heart Disease remains an urgent challenge. We have made progress over the past 50 years, but in the last few years coronary heart disease mortality curves have flattened and begun to trend upwards coincident with worldwide epidemics of diabetes and obesity.

We understand the problem. We know what to do. We understand the multiple paths toward prevention. What is missing is uniform acknowledgement from medical practitioners, hospitals, insurers, government and the general public that a problem exists, followed by unified commitment of financial, educational and program resources commensurate with shining a bright light on Prevention. Why are we so complacent with treating disease rather than preventing it? The answer may lie in the current economics of healthcare where financial incentives are not aligned with prevention and health promotion.

The Hippocratic Oath contains the clause, “I will prevent disease whenever I can, for prevention is preferable to cure.”