Although theoretically very effective and apparently quite straightforward, cardiovascular prevention leaves much to be desired in practice. Several reasons, including ethical, conceptual, psychological, and operative pitfalls (lifestyle changes are mostly ignored; drug therapy is too often prescribed with no good reason, and performed in an episodic or on/off way) are presented in this essay. Discussed are the grounds of these aberrations and suggested are some intuitive solutions, best achievable in family practice. Preprečevanje srčno-žilnih bolezni je teoretično zelo učinkovito in na videz precej enostavno, vendar pa je treba v praksi na tem področju še marsikaj storiti. Prispevek opisuje razloge takšnega stanja, tj. etične, konceptualne in psihološke dejavnike ter težave pri izvajanju. Zdravljenje z zdravili prevečkrat predpišemo brez pravega razloga, poteka pa občasno in neredno. Prispevek obravnava vzroke teh slabosti in predlaga nekaj rešitev, ki jih najlaže ponudi družinska medicina.