The ASPC was established 26 years ago as a society of physicians and educators who were recipients of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Preventive Cardiology Academic Award (PCAA). These awards were granted between 1979 and 1995 to physicians in cardiology, general internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, and family medicine. The goal of the award was to develop programs to enhance basic and clinical education in preventive cardiology and initiate or expand interdisciplinary clinical services and research initiatives in preventive cardiology.
The society began meeting under the guidance of Dr. Joseph Stokes, III. Initially, membership in the society consisted largely of physicians who had received the NHLBI academic award that provided five years support to develop preventive cardiology teaching, practice, and research within the awardees' medical schools. Over the past 10 years, the society expanded its membership base to include multidisciplinary health care professionals, scientists, and educators with an interest in the prevention of cardiovascular disease.