[Gap between guidelines and clinical practice : from epidemiological evidence to solutions to remove barriers].

Good clinical practice guidelines are intended to facilitate and improve patient care. However, it is clear that recommended targets are not reached among numerous patients in real life. It is the case for the control of cardiovascular risk factors such as hypercholesterolaemia, arterial hypertension and type 2 diabetes, both in primary and secondary prevention. Barriers are multiple and concern all field actors : prescribing doctors, patients regarding their medications, health care system and pharmaceutical industry. Identifying barriers and proposing solutions should help narrow the gap between guidelines and clinical practice.