According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women, with coronary heart disease being the most common. Each year, roughly 780,000 Americans will have their first heart attack. These statistics are exactly what lead most people to think of or to make an appointment with a doctor. The title "cardiologist" is often synonymous with the term "heart doctor," and while this is true, a cardiologist specializes in quite a bit more than just the heart. A cardiologists' expertise encompasses the entire cardiovascular system. A cardiologist will treat diseases and defects of the heart, as well as all major veins and arteries. There are various types of cardiologists, actually. However, something they all share is their initial education, which includes four years of undergraduate study, generally in biology or "pre-medicine," four years of medical school, an additional three years of residency, and a final two or more years of specialized cardiology training.
As was mentioned, there are a variety of specified kinds of cardiologists; there are those whose practices are geared more towards the prevention and maintenance of heart and cardiovascular disease, and those who spend more time performing the procedures needed to repair an already acute problem. There are also specialized pediatric cardiologists and cardio-thoracic surgeons.
As to what one might expect when making an appointment with a cardiologist, there are a few things. Often a patient is referred by another doctor, after which an initial evaluation will be made, as well as a review of the patients' medical history. The doctor will listen for irregularities like murmurs or abnormal rhythms, and after doing so more tests are often ordered for a more precise diagnoses and potential treatment plan.
Some of the tests one might expect are the common ECG (electrocardiogram), for which the patient is hooked up to a monitor that allows the doctor to more accurately define abnormal rhythms, or to detect other things like damage already acquired from a myocardial infarction (heart attack), or perhaps even things like electrolyte imbalances (high potassium etc.). Another common test performed is the "stress test," or "stress ECG" where the patient is hooked up to a monitor while walking on a treadmill. All of this is, of course, followed up by a round of blood tests that will allow the clinician to evaluate a patients' general health and specific cardiac enzymes.
Despite all of the technicality, seeing a cardiologist should not be daunting; because in the final analysis, becoming a cardiologist requires dedication, perseverance, expertise and a lot of exactly what they specialize in.
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