Cardiovascular diseases are diseases of the heart and vascular system and have great public health significance: they are the leading cause of death in women and men, morbidity and disability, especially in the elderly in both developed and developing countries. The main clinical manifestations of cardiovascular diseases are coronary or ischemic disease, cerebrovascular disease and occlusive disease of peripheral arteries. The most common cause of these diseases is atherosclerosis or the deposition of lipids in the walls of arteries. There are many risk factors associated with atherosclerosis and consequent cardiovascular disease, some of these factors cannot be changed, while others can be influenced by medical intervention. A research was conducted with the aim of discovering the prevalence of risk factors for the development of cardiovascular diseases in the population in the area of Varaždin County. The research was conducted in the period from March 24 to June 30, 2021. A total of 1.063 respondents voluntarily participated in it, the majority of respondents were female, 703 (66.1%), and the remaining 360 (33.9%) were male. The research showed that most respondents have at least two risk factors for the development of cardiovascular disease, so of the total number of respondents, 192 (18.1%) have a positive family history of cardiovascular disease and are obese, 285 of them (26.8%) has a positive family history of cardiovascular disease and smokes cigarettes and 201 of them (19%) have a positive family history of cardiovascular disease and hypertension. Out of a total of 152 respondents who stated that they had or are suffering from a certain cardiovascular disease, 108 of them (71.1%) have a positive family history for the occurrence of cardiovascular disease. Most respondents believe that education on both cardiovascular health and general healthy lifestyles should be provided by health professionals.