Dear Colleagues,

We are delighted to present you this focused issue of the ESC Congress 2015 in Review. The topic of prevention was selected because of the increasing global presence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and the therapeutic challenges this epidemic presents. The peer-reviewed highlights in this issue come from presentations at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2015 held in London, United Kingdom.

Village 2 of the congress venue, dedicated to prevention, rehabilitation, sports, nursing, and ageing, hosted many sessions and discussions. We encourage you to continue this scientific exchange with your colleagues by consulting the Prevention section of ESC Congress 365.

In this focused issue on prevention, feature articles review advances in the management of CVD risk, personalised medicine in CVD management, the role of e-cigarettes in smoking cessation, the Global Cardiovascular Nursing Leadership Forum (mobilising nurse leaders to promote prevention of CVD worldwide), and some important interventions that have been initiated in order to reach the World Heart Federation’s goal of a 25% reduction in premature deaths from CVD by 2025. Selected updates focus on cholesterol-lowering goals and how to achieve them with statins and other treatment options, old and new.

Among the clinical trial highlights of importance in the area of prevention is the SUPPORT trial involving patients with acute myocardial infarction being treated with ticagrelor. The study demonstrated the value of an interactive smartphone application in increasing drug adherence and adopting/continuing healthy cardiovascular lifestyle changes. The EUROASPIRE surveys concerned with CVD prevention, which began in 1995, have been designed to identify risk factors in high-risk individuals, clarify patient management using lifestyle modifications and drugs, and assess how effectively current knowledge is being used in general practice. EUROASPIRE III and IV findings were compared with gauge changes in lifestyle/risk factor management and therapeutic control in high-risk CVD patients. Results show that little progress has been made with regard to a reduction in smoking and the prevalence of overweight/obese individuals, increasing physical activity, and improvement in therapeutic control of risk factors, illuminating the further need for preventive cardiology programs.

We hope that the articles and practical perspectives contained in the pages of this focused issue of ESC Congress 2015 in Review will offer new insights. To access ESC Congress content (videos, slides, abstracts, and congress reports) all year long, visit us online at www.escardio.org/365.

We wish you all the best in the coming year and hope to see you in Rome for ESC Congress 2016. For more information, please visit www.escardio.org/esc2016.