Cardiology
Diagnosis and treatment of heart and circulatory conditions, including ECG, echocardiography and stress testing.
What is Cardiology?
Cardiology deals with the diagnosis and treatment of heart and circulatory conditions. Heart disease often progresses silently; risk factors such as high blood pressure and raised cholesterol can damage the arteries over years without causing any symptoms.
Cardiology is therefore concerned not only with treating disease but with identifying and reducing risk early.
Which conditions does it cover?
- Hypertension
- Coronary artery disease
- Heart rhythm disorders (arrhythmias)
- Heart failure
- Heart valve disease
- Congenital heart conditions
- High cholesterol
- Chest pain of cardiac origin
Procedures and tests
- Electrocardiography (ECG)
- Echocardiography (heart ultrasound)
- Exercise stress test
- Rhythm and blood pressure Holter monitoring
- Blood pressure monitoring and medication adjustment
- Interpretation of cardiac enzymes and blood tests
- Risk assessment and prevention advice
When should you seek care?
- Pressure, tightness or burning in the chest
- Breathlessness that worsens on exertion
- Palpitations or an irregular heartbeat
- Fainting or dizziness
- Swelling of the ankles
- Regular check-ups if there is early heart disease in your family
The information on this page is for general guidance only; diagnosis and treatment decisions are made by your doctor after examination.
