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Session Length
~17 min
Adaptive Checks
15 questions
Transfer Probes
8
Cardiology is the branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases and disorders of the heart and the circulatory system. It encompasses a vast range of conditions, from congenital heart defects present at birth to acquired diseases such as coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular heart disease, and cardiac arrhythmias. Cardiologists employ a diverse array of diagnostic tools, including electrocardiography, echocardiography, cardiac catheterization, and advanced imaging modalities, to evaluate cardiac structure and function.
The field has undergone revolutionary advances since the mid-twentieth century, beginning with the development of open-heart surgery and cardiopulmonary bypass in the 1950s and continuing through the introduction of coronary angioplasty, stent placement, implantable defibrillators, and transcatheter valve therapies. These innovations have transformed once-fatal conditions into manageable chronic diseases. The understanding of atherosclerosis as an inflammatory process, the identification of modifiable risk factors such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and smoking, and the development of evidence-based pharmacotherapy have all contributed to dramatic reductions in cardiovascular mortality in developed nations.
Despite these advances, cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for approximately 17.9 million deaths each year. Modern cardiology increasingly emphasizes preventive strategies, including lifestyle modification, risk factor screening, and population-level public health interventions. Emerging frontiers include precision medicine approaches guided by genomics, the use of artificial intelligence for early detection of arrhythmias and heart failure, regenerative therapies involving stem cells, and the growing recognition of the interplay between mental health, social determinants, and cardiovascular outcomes.
One step at a time.
A condition in which atherosclerotic plaques build up inside the coronary arteries, reducing blood flow to the heart muscle. CAD is the most common type of heart disease and the leading cause of myocardial infarction.
Example: A 58-year-old man with chest pain on exertion undergoes coronary angiography revealing a 90% stenosis of the left anterior descending artery, treated with percutaneous coronary intervention and stent placement.
A clinical syndrome in which the heart is unable to pump blood efficiently enough to meet the metabolic demands of the body. It is classified as heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) or heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).
Example: A patient with longstanding uncontrolled hypertension develops progressive dyspnea, lower extremity edema, and an echocardiogram showing an ejection fraction of 30%.
Abnormalities in the heart's electrical conduction system that cause the heart to beat too fast (tachycardia), too slow (bradycardia), or irregularly. Common arrhythmias include atrial fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia, and heart block.
Example: A patient presents with palpitations and an irregularly irregular pulse; an ECG confirms atrial fibrillation with a rapid ventricular response of 140 beats per minute.
Conditions affecting one or more of the four heart valves (mitral, aortic, tricuspid, pulmonary), causing stenosis (narrowing) or regurgitation (leaking). May be congenital or acquired through degenerative, rheumatic, or infectious processes.
Example: An elderly patient with progressive exertional dyspnea and a systolic murmur is found to have severe aortic stenosis with a valve area of 0.7 cm² on echocardiography.
A chronic inflammatory disease of the arterial wall characterized by the accumulation of lipids, fibrous tissue, and inflammatory cells (plaque) within the intima of arteries. It underlies most cases of coronary artery disease, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease.
Example: Carotid intima-media thickness measurement on ultrasound reveals early subclinical atherosclerosis in a patient with metabolic syndrome, prompting aggressive risk factor modification.
Irreversible necrosis of heart muscle resulting from prolonged ischemia, most commonly caused by acute thrombotic occlusion of a coronary artery. Classified as ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) or non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) based on ECG findings.
Example: A patient presents with crushing substernal chest pain radiating to the left arm, with ST elevations in leads V1 through V4, and is emergently taken for primary percutaneous coronary intervention.
Persistently elevated arterial blood pressure, defined as systolic blood pressure of 130 mmHg or greater or diastolic blood pressure of 80 mmHg or greater. It is the most prevalent modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease, stroke, and chronic kidney disease.
Example: A 45-year-old patient with consistently recorded blood pressures of 148/92 mmHg in clinic is started on an ACE inhibitor along with dietary sodium restriction and exercise counseling.
A non-invasive imaging modality that uses ultrasound waves to visualize cardiac structure and function in real time. It assesses chamber size, wall motion, ejection fraction, valvular function, and hemodynamics through Doppler techniques.
Example: A transthoracic echocardiogram in a heart failure patient reveals a dilated left ventricle with global hypokinesis and an ejection fraction of 25%, guiding initiation of guideline-directed medical therapy.
More terms are available in the glossary.
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