Contributors to CHD include atherogenic personal attributes, living habits which promote these, signs of preclinical disease, and host susceptibility to these influences. Atherogenic traits include the blood lipids, blood pressure, and glucose tolerance. High LDL cholesterol is positively and high HDL cholesterol inversely related to CHD incidence. Hypertension, whether systolic or diastolic, labile or fixed, casual or basal, at any age in either sex contributes powerfully to coronary heart disease. The impact of diabetes on CHD is greater for women than for men and varies according to the level of the foregoing risk factors. The faulty life-style is typified by a diet excessive in calories, fat, and salt, a sedentary habit, unrestrained weight gain, and cigarettes. Alcohol used in moderation may be beneficial. Oral contraceptives worsen atherogenic traits and, when used for long periods beyond age 35 in conjunction with cigarettes, predispose to thromboembolism. Type A persons with an overdeveloped sense of time urgency, drive, and competitiveness develop an excess of angina pectoris. Men married to more highly educated women are at increased risk, as are men married to women in white-collar jobs. Preclinical signs of a compromised coronary circulation include silent MI, ECG-LVH, blocked intraventricular conduction, and repolarization abnormalities. Exercise ECG may elicit still earlier evidence. Measures of innate susceptibility include a family history of premature cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, and gout. Optimal prediction of CHD requires a quantitative combination of risk factors in multiple logistic risk formulations that identify high-risk persons with multiple marginal abnormalities. Preventive management should also be multifactorial.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)