The World Health Organisation estimated that 12 million deaths were related to cardiovascular diseases in 1992. One half of all the deaths in developed countries like the U.S.A were from heart diseases. In developing nations too, the increase in coronary heart disease is reaching epidemic proportions. India and China which together account for over 50% of earth's population, details for 4.5 to 5 million deaths from heart diseases every year.

There is a need for identifying and correcting the conventional risk factors like hypertension, diabetes, mellitus, smoking, hyperlipidemia, tobacco consumption, and central obesity at much younger age. Male sex is more prone to CAD but post-menopausal females need special attention, as they constitute a distinct sub-group at a high risk for CAD.

There are an estimate 45 millions patients of coronary diseases in India & 30% on high risk. An increasing number of young Indians are falling prey to coronary heart disease. With millions hooked to a roller-coaster lifestyle, the future looks even grimmer.

The lack of physical activity is a major cause of death, disease and disability. Preliminary data from WHO study on risk factors suggest that inactivity or sedentary lifestyle is one of the 10 leading global causes of death and disability. Physical inactivity also increases the risk of colon and breast cancer, high blood pressure, lipid disorders and anxiety.

Current projections suggest that by the year 2020 India will have the largest cardiovascular disease burden in the world.

New modalities like coronary angioplasty, stents, laser revascularisation and surgical bypass techniques with video scope and robotic assistance have universally brought down morbidity and mortality. From the Indian point of view there is a need to plan the strategies for preventing and halting coronary atherosclerosis, which is fast spreading as a malignant epidemic amongst the young. In the industrialised countries there is a continuing decline of CAD in the last three decades. In between ‘1965-1990' CAD mortality has been decreased by 60% in Japan and Finland and by 50% in U.S.A, Canada , France and Australia . This has been possible focusing on public education programs for modifying the known risk factors and by targeting high risk individuals. This achievement of the industrialized nations must become an inspiration for the physicians and policymakers in India . At the forefront IPC has already started to take steps on preventing heart diseases with a success rate of 90%.