Agatson, a cardiologist, says that the medical profession is oriented towards invasive treatment of existing heart disease rather than preventing the disease in the first place. He believes that certain noninvasive techniques for evaluating heart disease risk are underused by the medical profession, and that addressing risks identified by those diagnostic techniques using South Beach diet principles, regular aerobic and core-strengthening exercise, and use of medications as necessary will reduce the need for invasive procedures such as angioplasty and bypass surgery. Agatson terms this approach “aggressive prevention” and claims he has seen vast reductions in the number of heart attacks and referrals for heart surgery in his own medical practice as a result of this approach.