European guidelines on cardiovascular disease prevention in clinical practice: executive summary.

Graham, I.; Atar, D.; Borch Johnsen, K.; Boysen, G.; Burell, G.; Cifkova, R.; Dallongeville, J.; De Backer, G.; Ebrahim, S.; Gjelsvik, B.; Herrmann Lingen, C.; Hoes, A.; Humphries, S.; Knapton, M.; Perk, J.; Priori, S. G.; Pyorala, K.; Reiner, Z.; Ruilope, L.; Sans Menendez, S.; Scholte, O. P.; Reimer, W.; Weissberg, P.; Wood, D.; Yarnell, J.; Zamorano, J. L.; Walma, E.; Fitzgerald, T.; Cooney, M. T.; Dudina, A.; Vahanian, A.; Camm, J.; De Caterina, R.; Dean, V.; Dickstein, K.; Funck Brentano, C.; Filippatos, G.; Hellemans, I.; Kristensen, S. D.; Mcgregor, K.; Sechtem, U.; Silber, S.; Tendera, M.; Widimsky, P.; Zamorano, J. L.; Hellemans, I.; Altiner, A.; Bonora, Enzo; Durrington, P. N.; Fagard, R.; Giampaoli, S.; Hemingway, H.; Hakansson, J.; Kjeldsen, S. E.; Larsen, M. L.; Mancia, G.; Manolis, A. J.; Orth Gomer, K.; Pedersen, T.; Rayner, M.; Ryden, L.; Sammut, M.; Schneiderman, N.; Stalenhoef, A. F.; Tokgözoglu, L.; Wiklund, O.; Zampelas, A.

doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehm316

Guidelines and Expert Consensus Documents summarize and evaluate all currently available evidence on a particular issue with the aim to assist physicians in selecting the best management strategies for a typical patient, suffering from a given condition, taking into account the impact on outcome, as well as the risk–benefit ratio of particular diagnostic or therapeutic means. Guidelines are not substitutes for textbooks. The legal implications of medical guidelines have been discussed previously.