In 2010, there were 25,631 deaths caused by cardiovascular diseases (CVD), which accounted for 49.2% of total mortality in the Republic of Croatia. Applying the total preventive, diagnostic, treatment and comprehensive rehabilitation measures in patients who have developed atherosclerotic CVD aimed at achieving maximum health, personal, family and social sufficiency and preventing a new cardiovascular event are the main tasks of an organized medical activity of secondary prevention. When successfully conducted, they lead to a significant increase in survival, improvement of life quality, reduction in the need for interventional, surgical or percutaneous interventions, with an utmost significant reduction in overall social and economic burden. In accordance with generally accepted continuum concept in the development of atherosclerotic diseases and CVD definition as an isolated event within the specified uninterrupted continuum, the basic approach to the prevention should ignore the traditional division into "primary" and "secondary" prevention to a certain extent, at least in principal considerations of this thematic area. Contemporary strategy imposes the two basic objectives: the general population preventive strategy and the strategy of preventive measures in high risk patients equalized with those who are already suffering from CVD. The above is the foundation for modern profiling contemporary general and specific preventive plans in protection from CVD. In the light of an increasing importance of prevention of cardiovascular diseases, the rehabilitation of cardiovascular patients will have an increasing importance in the overall management and prevention of morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular diseases, while reducing costs and improving the life quality.