Summary

This article gives an overview of the key messages related to cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention in the the Fifth Joint Task Force of the Guidelines on CVD prevention in clinical practice [Perk J et al. Eur Heart J 2012]. Therapeutic guideline updates include acute and chronic heart failure, acute myocardial infarction with ST-segment elevation, atrial fibrillation, valvular heart disease, an an updated third universal definition of myocardial infarction.