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Rehabilitation and secondary prevention programs are recognized as an essential part of the overall care of patients with cardiovascular disease. They consist of multidisciplinary strategies aiming at the reduction of modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Cardiac rehabilitation includes non-pharmacological interventions as: Patients’ evaluation. Nutritional counseling. Risk factors management (serum lipids, blood pressure, weight, diabetes, smoking). Psychosocial interventions. Physical activity and cardiovascular physical training counseling. Their effectiveness in the reduction of mortality through the decrease of risk factors has been proven in the last twenty years. Guidelines on appropriate and well-framed interventions have been released and nutritional interventions have a ringside seat in all programs. During 2007, the Italian Association of Dietitians, ANDID, created a working group of expert dietitians, with the goals of making a review of available scientific literature and of elaborating a Professional Position Papers on the role of Dietitian in cardiac rehabilitation and prevention. This Position Paper retrieves and remarks the available evidence that are important for the dietitians, according to their professional role and their contribution in the management of the topic.

The Italian Working Group on Nutrition and Stroke Prevention G. Rotilio 1,2, R. Berni Canani 2, G. Barba 3, E Branca 4,17, G. Cairella 5,17, B. Dilaghi 6, C. Fieschi 7, E Garbagnati 2, M.G. Gentile 8,17, G.E Gensini 6, A. Gualtieri 7, D. Inzitari 9, M. La Massa 9, M.L.E. Luisi 1°, 17, G. Mancia n, M. Marcelli 12,17, M.L. Masini 13, E Mastrilli 14, S. Paolucci 14 , L. Pratesi 14, P. Rubba 15 , M.L. Sacchetti 7 , A. Salvia 14 , L. Scalfi 16,17, U. Scognamiglio 2, A. Siani 3,17, p. Strazzul1015 1Department of Biology, Tor Vergata University of Rome, 2Centre of Research on Nutrition and Rehabilitation (CeSAR), IRCCS Fondazione S. Lucia, Rome, 3Institute of Food Sciences, CNR, Avellino, 4National Institute for Research on Food and Nutrition (1NRAN), Rome, 5Department of Prevention Nutrition Unit ASL RMB, Rome, 6Department of Medical and Surgical Critical Care, Section of Clinical Medicine and Cardiology, A.O.U. Careggi, Florence, 7Department of Neurology, University "La Sapienza", Rome, 8Clincal Nutrition Unit, Niguarda Hospital, Milan, 9Department of Neurological and Psychiatric Sciences, University of Florence, 1°Don Carlo Gnocchi Foundation, IRCCS Florence, 11Department of Clinical Medicine, Prevention and Applied Biotechnologies, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, 12Clinical Nutrition Unit A.O.S. Giovanni Addolorata, Rome, 13Dietetic Unit A.O.U. Careggi, Florence, 14IRCCS Fondazione S. Lucia, Rome, 15Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Federico 1I University of Naples, 16Department of Food Science, Federico II University of Naples, and 17Italian Society of Human Nutrition (SINU)