The presence of dyslipidemia places this patient at highest risk for future myocardial infarction (MI), accounting for approximately 50% of the risk of developing acute MI. The INTERHEART study assessed the prevalence of nine potentially modifiable risk factors in more than 15,000 patients with first acute MI and almost 15,000 asymptomatic age- and sex-matched controls. Nine risk factors were strongly associated with acute MI in the 52 countries included in the trial. In descending order, these are: dyslipidemia, smoking, psychosocial stressors, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, obesity, alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, and diet low in fruits and vegetables. Results of the INTERHEART study suggest that these modifiable risk factors account for more than 90% of the risk for acute MI.