Cardiologists are physicians who care for your heart and cardiovascular system. As specialized internal medicine physicians (specialists in adult disease), they have completed advanced fellowship training in the treatment of heart and cardiovascular issues. Patients with heart conditions may visit a cardiologist directly, though some cardiologists require a referral from a primary care provider. The American Board of Internal Medicine offers board certification in cardiovascular disease.
Cardiologists diagnose and treat heart conditions including: congenital heart defects, congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, heart disease, arrhythmias, high cholesterol, heart attacks, high blood pressure, and many other heart related conditions. When diagnosing patients, cardiologists call upon a range of diagnostic tests, such as: echocardiograms (echo), blood tests, cardiac catheterization, electrocardiograms (EKG or ECG) and cardiac stress testing, among other diagnostic procedures.
Moreover, cardiologists may specialize further within the field of cardiology, practicing a subspecialty of cardiology such as: nuclear cardiology, cardiac electrophysiology, or interventional cardiology. These may include areas such as nuclear cardiology or interventional cardiology. Some cardiologists choose to limit their practice to treating a specific condition – such as congenital heart disease in adults.
