Europe is a region, which is most severely affected by non-communicable diseases. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of disability and death. Complex interactions between diet, lifestyle, and lipoprotein metabolism significantly contribute to the development of atherosclerosis and its complications. Role of diet in prevention of coronary heart disease becomes sometime underestimated in comparison with pharmacological treatment. Coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality has declined substantially in the Czech Republic in the last decade of the 20th century. Significant and positive dietary changes, mainly reduction of saturated fatty acids intake and its replacement by polyunsaturated fatty acids, contributed to decline of the average serum cholesterol level in population. Fall in CHD mortality was attributable to reduction in this major cardiovascular risk factor and not driven by pharmacological intervention. The Czech Republic is not the only country where similar trends have been recorded. Improvements in dietary habits seem to be one of the most important strategies in cardiovascular disease prevention.