Dores, HélderSantos, José FerreiraGil, VictorGonçalves, Pedro de Araújo2026-01-272026-01-272026-01-01Dores, H., Santos, J. F., Gil, V., & Gonçalves, P. D. A. (2026). Cardiovascular prevention: current gaps and future directions. Diagnostics, 16(1), Article 16. https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics160100162075-44180cd3b504-51a5-4e03-b780-98b43a726146http://hdl.handle.net/10400.14/56769Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Despite significant advances in diagnosis and treatment, the global burden of CVD remains high, underscoring the crucial need for more effective and comprehensive prevention strategies. This narrative overview aims to critically evaluate the current pillars of cardiovascular prevention, identify the gaps in approaches and outline promising future directions. Challenges and barriers in lifestyle adherence and pharmacological management are addressed, while the increasing role of non-traditional and emerging risk factors is discussed. Future directions include maximizing the value of digital health to improve patient engagement and adherence, adopting precision medicine to refine risk stratification and implementing public health policies for population-level interventions. The optimization of cardiovascular prevention requires a multi-level approach that integrates clinical strategies with personalized solutions and environmental policies to ultimately reduce the global impact of CVD.engCardiovascularDigitalPrecision medicinePreventionRisk stratificationreview article10.3390/diagnostics16010016105027238703PMC1278534241515511