Patrick T. O Gara, MD, MACC, FAHA Chair, ACC/AHA Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines Although there has been substantial improvement in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) outcomes in recent decades, ASCVD remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally.S1-1 S1-3 In the Unit- ed States, it is also the leading cause of death for peo- ple of most racial/ethnic groups, with an estimated cost of >$200 billion annually in healthcare services, medications, and lost productivity. Much of this is at- tributable to suboptimal implementation of preven- tion strategies and uncontrolled ASCVD risk factors in Most Americans who have had a myocardial infarc- tion (MI) had unfavorable levels of at least 1 cardiovas- cular risk factor before their ASCVD event.S1-4 the AHA defined a new model of ideal cardiovascular health, referred to as Life s Simple 7.S1-5 Clinicians will find the 2018 Journal of American College of Cardiol- ogy (JACC) Cardiovascular Health Promotion Series very helpful in approaching the various aspects of preven- tion with patients.S1-6 An increasing number of ideal cardiovascular health factors have been associated with a lower prevalence and incidence of ASCVD events, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, cancer, depression, and Therefore, moving individuals toward ideal cardiovascular health is critically important for prevention of many important health conditions. The ACC/AHA Task Force on Clinical Practice Guide- lines has commissioned this guideline to consolidate existing recommendations and various recent scientific statements, expert consensus documents, and clinical practice guidelines into a single guidance document fo- cused on the primary prevention of ASCVD. 