Despite considerable effort in primary prevention, coronary heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death in the industrialized nations. The patient who survives his first myocardial infarction carries approximately a tenfold risk of recurrence and sudden death when compared to the normal population. The concept of secondary prevention, therefore, has emerged as an active strategy aimed at the reduction of fatal and non-fatal recurrences of myocardial infarction. Apart from risk factors of relevance in primary prevention, secondary prevention is dependent on the extent of the...