This is the first of four articles

Reducing cholesterol and blood pressure, as well as smoking cessation, have been shown to be effective strategies for preventing cardiovascular diseases.1 However, these “classical” risk factors, along with known non-modifiable risk factors such as age, sex, and family history, cannot fully explain why some people develop myocardial infarction and stroke, while others do not.2^–4 Additional factors may have a role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, and new preventive strategies may be of use. In this article we briefly review the use of antioxidants, the use of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, and homocysteine lowering; other “emerging” cardiovascular risk factors and potential preventive strategies that are under investigation are summarised in table 1.