HomeRisk factors, as they pertain to coronary artery disease, are obviously different from the coronary artery disease itself.Treating or correcting a risk factor does not cure coronary artery disease; rather, it helps prevent it from occurring. Thus, modifying your risk factors can be thought of as preventive maintenance. Taking steps to reduce your risk factors before coronary artery disease develops is called primary prevention.Although improved treatments for heart disease are saving more lives, about half of all deaths occur before there is time to start treatment. Thus, treatment, no matter how sophisticated it may become, is not the ideal solution for reducing deaths from heart disease. Preventing heart attacks by reducing or eliminating risk factors undoubtedly can save lives.SECONDARY PREVENTION. What if you already have coronary artery disease and are experiencing angina or have even had a heart attack? Evidence shows that you can still reduce your chances of further complications if you reduce your risk factors. Secondary prevention is the attempt to reduce risk factors after you have documented coronary artery disease or a heart attack.When you treat risk factors aggressively, atherosclerosis can actually improve. By giving up smoking, exercising regularly, and developing healthful eating, living, and working habits, you can diminish the effects of existing cardiovascular disease.Cardiovascular rehabilitation programs after heart attacks are an example of secondary prevention. They try to help you reduce the risk of a second heart attack, compensate for the heart damage, decrease the extent of atherosclerosis, and resume as normal a lifestyle as possible.*226\252\8*
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