Preventive cardiology as a dedicated clinical service: The past, the present, and the (Magnificent) future

• Ischemic cardiovascular disease continues to be most common cause of death after age 55 everywhere in the world. • As the average person is exposed over life to a variety of artery-damaging insults it is easy to predict that this trend will continue for decades. • We face an unprecedented opportunity to consolidate, strengthen, and broaden the effort to prevent cardiovascular events, both ischemic and non ischemic. • This effort requires professional lifestyle counseling, dietary interventions, use of natural supplements, pharmacotherapy, and efficient cross-referral strategies. • The nascent subspecialty of preventive cardiology must reach uniformity in protocols of care, and must develop a system of training and certification for the next generation of expert providers.