Cardiology BLOG

Cardiology: The Heart's Function at the Center of the Human Body

Cardiology is the branch of medicine that deals with the study and treatment of diseases and disorders affecting the heart and arteries. The heart’s function is central to the workings of our human body. It is essential to take care of it and to spare our heart by avoiding stress and fatigue while adopting a balanced lifestyle.

The cardiologist is the specialist doctor responsible for the diagnosis, treatment, and healing of diseases affecting the heart and arteries. It is recommended to have your own cardiologist from a certain age to ensure regular check-ups every one or two years.

When to Consult a Cardiologist?

It is recommended to make an appointment with a cardiologist whenever you experience symptoms or signs affecting the heart, speaking with your doctor to determine if you should consult a cardiologist. Among the issues that should raise suspicion:

• High cholesterol levels
• High blood pressure
• Pain and discomfort in the chest, shoulders, neck, arms, or jaw, especially if they tend to worsen and do not improve at rest or if they are associated with heavy sweating, pallor, nausea or vomiting, dizziness or fainting, irregular heartbeat or palpitations, difficulty swallowing, and low blood pressure.

A cardiology examination is also advisable in cases of family predisposition to cardiovascular problems and in cases of diabetes, gingivitis, high-risk pregnancy, and pre-eclampsia. Finally, it is good to request a health check-up if you smoke or are a former smoker and when you intend to start a new type of physical activity after the age of 40.

Main Pathologies Treated in Cardiology

Heart Attack

A heart attack is the death or necrosis of a tissue or organ that does not receive a sufficient supply of blood and oxygen from the arterial circulation dedicated to it. When an artery does not have a good flow rate, or is not able to increase it according to the needs of the territory it irrigates, ischemia of the tissues downstream of the vessel occurs and, if the ischemia is prolonged enough to cause necrosis, the heart attack itself.

Angina Pectoris

If the patient complains of chest pain (angina), they should contact the healthcare team as soon as possible. In case of a heart attack, the occluded vessel is reopened as soon as possible and the angioplasty procedure with stent implantation is performed.

Reopening the vessel can make the chest pain disappear and immediately give a feeling of well-being.

Arrhythmias

While many arrhythmias are harmless, some can be serious and even life-threatening. An abnormal heart rhythm may not pump enough blood to the body and may damage the brain and other organs. Some arrhythmias are treated with a pacemaker, or with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD).

Heart Failure

In the case of heart failure, a diagnosis must be made to establish its severity. Heart failure can indeed depend on: heart ischemia, untreated hypertension, a serious disease of the pulmonary vessels such as pulmonary embolism, etc. Already after the first hours of treatment, the patient breathes better and no longer feels the sensation of air hunger. Initial therapy involves the use of intravenous diuretics and other drugs that regulate blood pressure and hemodynamic status. However, assistance may be necessary to facilitate ventilation (continuous positive airway pressure, CPAP), and, in severe cases, to support the heart as a pump (ECMO).

High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is a condition characterized by high blood pressure, determined by the amount of blood pumped by the heart and the resistance of the arteries to blood flow. It affects about 30% of the adult population of both sexes and, in women, is more frequent after menopause. High blood pressure is not a disease, but a risk factor, that is, a condition that increases the likelihood of other cardiovascular diseases. This is why it is important to detect and treat it to prevent the damage it can cause.

Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is a pathological condition characterized by alterations in the artery wall. Indeed, over time, arteries could lose their elasticity due to the accumulation of calcium, cholesterol, inflammatory cells, and fibrotic material. Once established, atherosclerosis appears as an irreversible and potentially continuously expanding process: an adequate lifestyle and treatments aimed at controlling diabetes and hypertension, as well as reducing cholesterol, can prevent plaque formation and slow the worsening of ongoing atherosclerosis.

What are the Most Commonly Used Procedures by a Cardiologist?

A cardiology examination consists of a precise record of medical history, followed by an objective examination that includes auscultation of the heart and an electrocardiogram (ECG).

Based on the information collected, the cardiologist may then deem it appropriate to carry out further investigations, for example, by prescribing:

• Carotid Doppler ultrasound
• A stress test
• Holter monitoring
• Echocardiography
• Electrophysiological studies
• Coronary angiography

Once the diagnostic process is complete, the cardiologist can prescribe the most appropriate medications or treatments, such as

• Angioplasty or coronary dilation
• Valvuloplasty
• Interventions to correct congenital malformations
• Coronary thrombectomies

Results After Your Cardiology Care

After appropriate treatment for a heart condition, you will feel a significant improvement in your health. The duration of convalescence depends on the type of treatment or surgery you undergo. The outlook is good for many people, and the benefits of the results of cardiac treatments are seen in the long term over several years.

• By adopting a healthy diet
• By reducing the consumption of foods high in salt, fat, and sugar
• By leading a more active lifestyle
• By avoiding smoking
• By controlling high blood pressure and high cholesterol

Consult Our Cardiology Interventions

• Coronary Angiography
• Angioplasty
• Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG)
• Heart Valve Replacement
• Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator (ICD)

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