Introduction:
Cardiovascular diseases constitute the most frequent cause of death, even exceeding cancer. The so-called risk factors, both modifiable and non-modifiable, play a significant role in their development.

Material and methods:
200 secondary school students, aged 16–19 years, participated in the study (137 girls and 63 boys). The study was conducted by means of the authors’ own survey questionnaire.

Results:
The vast majority of respondents (187; 93.5%) appropriately indicated obesity, hypercholesterolemia and smoking as modifiable risk factors. Nearly half of the respondents (96; 48%) appropriately recognised abdominal obesity based on waist size measurements and in the vast majority (157; 78.5%) correctly marked body mass index (BMI) for proper body weight. Most (136; 68%) knew about arteriosclerosis, the aftermaths of excessive salt consumption (158; 79%), fast food (184; 92%) and alcohol (139; 69.5%). Definitely fewer students (63; 31.5%) indicated the sources of cholesterol in food and appropriately defined the notion of HDL (72; 36%) and BMI (73; 36.5%).

Conclusions:
Secondary school students’ knowledge on the risk factors for cardiovascular diseases is incomplete. There is a need to implement health education aimed at reducing the prevalence of risk factors at a young age and/or their elimination, and as a result preventing the development and progression of cardiovascular diseases.