[Cardiovascular imaging in preventive medicine].

Atherosclerosis is a systemic, over a long period silent, but at least in many cases severe illness with fatal events which in most Europeans represent the reason of death. The primary reduction of causative factors is very efficient, but, however, is not readily enough established within dominant curative treatment. In contrary, a cost effective risk modification is possible, especially by individualized risk stratification. The assessment of traditional risk factors (like lipid disorders, arterial hypertension) can not display the individual progression within the pathophysiologic continuum. Imaging modalities that examine morphology and function are able to assess preclinical data that represent validated surrogate parameters of the atherosclerotic process and in addition to traditional risk factors predictive informations. Predominantly, they allow the concept of primary and secondary preventive strategies.