For as long as cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention has been advocated, and guidance recommendations for clinicians based on the synthesis of existing evidence provided by international guidelines,[1] the benefits of healthy lifestyles have been emphasised. However, compared to the substantial and closely quantifiable benefits of therapeutic interventions, especially supported smoking cessation, blood pressure and lipid lowering medications, recommendations around lifestyle changes have been largely generic comments and essentially statements of ‘common-sense’.