Cardiovascular disease is still the major killer, along with cancer, in our society. It is responsible for 11% of deaths in Australia. As a preventable disease there is an opportunity to make a big difference for about 2 to 3 million Australians. In this podcast Dr Mark Donohoe and Andrew Whitfield-Cook discuss what clinicians need to know and do to reduce cardiovascular disease risk. Topics covered include: the truth about statins, the real role of cholesterol in the body, dietary and lifestyle factors that make genuine change and when drug therapy is required.