This book includes the most significant contributions of the 3rd International Symposium on MULTIPLE RISK FACTORS IN CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE held in Florence, Italy, July 6-9, 1994. The meeting focused on the risk factors for cardiovascular disease and their interactions. The need for this symposium is based on the epidemiological evidence that individuals from industrialized countries often possess two or more risk factors which synergistically increase the global risk profile. This has become more evident in recent years with the increase in life expectancy of the general population. The evidence that in high risk patients, a combination of risk factors often is detected, is highlighted in these Proceedings. Many recent epidemiological data identifYing the intrinsic and environmental factors contributing to the development of atherosclerosis are discussed. These results, in parallel with basic and clinical research, underline how atherosclerosis is a complex and multifactorial process involving the influences of lipids, including lipoprotein subfractions, blood pressure, rheologic forces, carbohydrate tolerance, and thrombogenic factors. Furthermore, the risk associated with anyone of these risk factors varies widely depending on level of the associated atherogenic risk factors.
