Cardiology (from Greek kardi, "heart" and - -logia, "study") is a medical

specialty dealing with disorders of the heart be it human or animal. The field includes medical
diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular
heart disease andelectrophysiology. Physicians who specialize in this field of medicine are
called cardiologists. Physicians who specialize in cardiac surgery are calledcardiac surgeons.

Cardiology - What is Cardiology?

By Dr Ananya Mandal, MD

The term cardiology is derived from the Greek words cardia, which refers
to the heart and logy meaning study of. Cardiology is a branch of
medicine that concerns diseases and disorders of the heart, which may
range from congenital defects through to acquired heart diseases such
as coronary artery disease and congestive heart failure.

Physicians who specialize in cardiology are called cardiologists and they are
responsible for the medical management of various heart diseases. Cardiac
surgeons are the specialist physicians who perform surgical procedures to
correct heart disorders.

Cardiology milestones

Some of the major milestones in the discipline of cardiology are listed below:

1628 The circulation of blood was described by an English Physician William

Harvey.
1706 A French anatomy professor, Raymond de Vieussens, described the
structure of the heart's chambers and vessels.
1733 Blood pressure was first measured by an English clergyman and
scientist called Stephen Hales.
1816 A French physician, Rene Laennec, invented the stethoscope.
1903 A Dutch physiologist Willem Einthoven, developed the
electrocardiograph or ECG, a vital instrument used to measure the electrical
activity of the heart and diagnose heart abnormalities.
1912 An American physician, James Herric, described atherosclerosis one
of the most common diseases of the heart.
1938 Robert Gross, an American surgeon, performed the first heart surgery
1951 The first artificial heart valve was developed by Charles Hufnagel.
1952 An American surgeon called Floyd John Lewis performed the first
open heart surgery
1967 Christian Barnard, a South African surgeon, performed the first whole
heart transplant
1982 An American surgeon called Willem DeVries implanted a permanent
artificial heart designed by Robert Jarvik, into a patient.

Reviewed by Sally Robertson, BSc

Sources

1. http://www.ualberta.ca/~loewen/Toronto%20Notes/Cardiology.pdf
2. http://ecgepm.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/cardiology-explained.pdf
3. http://ccmhye.com/100%20Questions%20in%20Cardiology.pdf
4. http://www.angelfire.com/md2/liaquatian/Cardiology.pdf
5. http://www.fi.edu/learn/heart/history/firsts.html

Cardiology
Cardiology is the subspecialty of internal medicine concerned with the
functioning of the heart, blood vessels and circulation of blood throughout the
body. It may also encompass evaluation of the lungs.

Cardiologists must first complete seven or more years of medical school and
postgraduate training and become board certified in Internal Medicine. Then,
for an additional three to five years, they study conditions specific to the
heart, blood vessels and blood circulation.

Cardiologists prevent, diagnose and treat conditions of the heart, blood vessels
and circulation system in adult patients. But as broadly trained internists, they
may also perform a general physical check-up. If a condition is found that falls
within cardiology, they will handle the treatment. If it requires the services of
another physician, they will refer you appropriately. As a rule, blood counts,
urinalyses and X-ray tests will be conducted on most patients undergoing a
complete examination in a cardiologist's office.
 When you need a cardiologist
Frequently, a cardiologist is called in cases of chest pain or discomfort in which
the diagnosis is unclear or where specialized medical care is needed. Not
everyone who suffers from some difficulty in breathing or pain in the chest
needs a cardiologist. Many patients may be handled quite effectively by an
internist. A cardiologist's skills are most necessary in comprehensive diagnosis
and treatment of the heart and circulatory system.

How cardiologists work with other physicians

In many cases, patients with cardiovascular disease are followed jointly by a
general internist and a cardiologist. This joint care works best for all
concerned. The cardiologist can add new therapies and feel confident of the
follow-up care from a fellow internist.

Cardiology is the study and treatment of disorders of the heart; it is a

medical specialty which is involved in the care of all things associated
with the heart and the arteries. A cardiologist is not the same as a cardiac
surgeon - the cardiac surgeon opens the chest and performs heart surgery, a
cardiologist, on the other hand, carries out tests and procedures, such as
angioplasty.

Heart disease differs from cardiovascular disease, in that the latter refers to
disorders and illnesses of the heart and blood vessels, while the former is only
concerned with the heart.

In the USA, cardiology is a part of internal medicine. It is a discipline which

includes the diagnosis, treatment, causes, as well as research into heart
diseases and injuries.

In the USA, to become a cardiologist you have to complete a three-year

residency in internal medicine, and then a three-year residency in cardiology.
Cardiology has several subspecialties
Nuclear Cardiology - using nuclear imaging techniques in the non-
invasive study of cardiovascular disorders and diseases, including
infarction imaging, SPECT (single-photon-emission computed
 tomography), planar imaging, and myocardial perfusion imaging. The
nuclear cardiologist uses radioactive materials.

Interventional Cardiology - involves the use of intravascular catheter-

based techniques with fluoroscopy to treat congenital cardiac, valvular
and coronary artery diseases.

Interventional cardiologists may perform angioplasties,

valvuloplasties, congenital heart defect corrections, and coronary
thrombectomies.

Echocardiography - the use of ultrasound waves to create images of the

heart chambers, valves and surrounding structures. Echocardiography can
measure how well the heart is pumping blood (cardiac output), as well as
determining levels ofinflammation around the heart (pericarditis).
Echocardiography can also be used to identify structural abnormalities or
infections of the heart valves.

Cardiac electrophysiology - the study of the mechanism, spread, and

interpretation of the electric currents which occur inside heart muscle tissue
- the system that generates the heart beat.

During an electrophysiology study (EPS) of the heart, catheters are

threaded into a vein at the top of the leg; guided under fluoroscopy, the
catheter makes its way to the heart. The catheters measure the electrical
signals within the heart. EPS of the heart may be performed to determine
whether the patient needs a pacemaker, why somebody is fainting if other
tests have found no cause, and to help decide the best treatment for
patients with arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm). EPS may also
determine how prone a patient is to tachycardia (accelerated heart beat).
A brief history of cardiology
1628 - William Harvey (15878-1657), an English doctor, was the first to
describe the systemic circulation and properties of blood that is pumped
throughout the body by the heart. Ibn al-Nafis had mentioned blood
 circulation in a rudimentary way in a commentary in Avicenna's Canon in
1241.

1706 - Raymond de Vieussens (1635-1715), a French anatomy professor,

described the structure of the chamber and vessels of the heart. He is
remembered for his research in cardiology, and his anatomical studies of
the spinal cord, brain and heart. He is credited with being the first doctor to
describe the left ventricle in the heart accurately, as well as some blood
vessels.

1733 Stephen Hales,(1677-1761), a clergyman whose scientific

contributions in the fields of botany, pneumatic chemistry
and physiology were considerable. He invented the surgical forceps for
removing bladder stones, and a type of ventilator. He was also the first
person to measure blood pressure.

1816 - Ren-Thophile-Hyacinthe Laennec (1781-1826) a French doctor,

invented the stethoscope and pioneered its use in diagnosing a number of
chest infections. In 1826 Laennec died of TB.

1903 - Willem Einthoven, a Dutch physiologist and doctor, developed the

electrocardiograph (ECG or EKG). In 1924 he received the Nobel Prize or
Medicine.

1912 - James Bryan Herrick (1861-1954), an American doctor, described

the signs and symptoms of heart disease, explaining that it is caused by
the hardening of the arteries.
 1938 Robert E. Gross (1905-1988), an American surgeon and a medical
researcher, performed the first ever heart surgery.

1951 - the first artificial heart valve was created. A plastic valve to repair an
aortic valve was developed by Charles Hufnagel (1916-1989), a US
surgeon.

1952 - the first open heart surgery was performed by F. John Lewis, an
American surgeon.

1953 - the first mechanical heart and blood purifier was used by Dr. John
H. Gibbon (born 1929)

1961 - first time external cardiac massage was used to restart a heart. The
procedure was perormed by J. R. Jude and team at Johns Hopkins
University.

1965 - mechanical devices were implanted by Micahel DeBakey and

Adrian Kantrowitz to help a diseased heart.

1967 - a whole heart transplant from one human to another was performed
for the first time by Christiaan Barnard, a South African surgeon.
 1982 - a permanent artificial heart was implanted into a patient by Willem
DeVries, a US surgeon. The medical device was designed by Robert
Jarvik, a US physician.
Written by Christian Nordqvist