Medical specialty dealing with heart diseases and disorders. It began with the 1749 publication by Jean Baptiste de Sénac of contemporary knowledge of the heart. Diagnostic methods improved in the 19th century, and in 1905 the electrocardiograph was invented. The 20th century saw many surgical advances in cardiology, including heart transplants and the use of artificial hearts. Current diagnostic methods include chest percussion (tapping) and auscultation, electrocardiography, and echocardiography (see ultrasound). Cardiologists provide continuing care of heart patients, doing basic heart-function studies, supervising therapy, including drug therapy, and working closely with heart surgeons.

Learn more about cardiology with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Cardiology (from Greek καρδίᾱ, kardiā, "heart"; and -λογία, -logia) is the branch of internal medicine dealing with disorders of the heart and blood vessels. The field is commonly divided in the branches of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular heart disease and electrophysiology. Physicians specializing in this field of medicine are called cardiologists. Cardiologists should not be confused with cardiac surgeons who are surgeons who perform cardiac surgery - operative procedures on the heart and great vessels.

The term cardiology is derived from the Greek word καρδιά (transliterated as kardia and meaning heart or inner self).

The heart

Cardiac pacemaker (Electrical system of the heart)

• Electrical conduction system of the heart
• Action potential
• Ventricular action potential
• Sinoatrial node
• Atrioventricular node
• Bundle of His
• Purkinje fibers

Basic cardiac physiology

• Systole
• Diastole
• Heart sounds
• Preload
• Afterload
• Kussmaul's sign

Disorders of the heart

Disorders of the coronary circulation

• Atherosclerosis
• Restenosis
• Coronary heart disease (Ischaemic heart disease, Coronary artery disease)
• Acute coronary syndrome
• Angina
• Myocardial infarction (Heart attack)

Sudden cardiac death (The abrupt cessation of blood flow, leading to death)

• Cardiac arrest

Treatment of sudden cardiac death

• Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)

Disorders of the myocardium (muscle of the heart)

• Cardiomyopathy
• Ischemic cardiomyopathy
• Nonischemic cardiomyopathy
• Amyloid cardiomyopathy
• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM)
• Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) (Idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis (IHSS))
• hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
• Dilated cardiomyopathy
• Alcoholic cardiomyopathy
• Tachycardia induced cardiomyopathy
• Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (Transient apical ballooning, stress-induced cardiomyopathy)
• Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy)
• Restrictive cardiomyopathy
• Congestive heart failure
• Cor pulmonale
• Ventricular hypertrophy
• Left ventricular hypertrophy
• Right ventricular hypertrophy
• Primary tumors of the heart
• Myxoma
• Myocardial rupture

Disorders of the pericardium (outer lining of the heart)

• Pericarditis
• Pericardial tamponade
• Constrictive pericarditis

Disorders of the heart valves

• Aortic valve disorders
• Aortic insufficiency
• Aortic stenosis
• Aortic valve replacement
• Aortic valve repair
• Aortic valvuloplasty
• Mitral valve disorders
• Mitral valve prolapse
• Mitral regurgitation
• Mitral stenosis
• Mitral valve replacement
• Mitral valve repair
• Mitral valvuloplasty
• Pulmonary valve disorders
• Congenital pulmonic stenosis
• Tricuspid valve disorders

Disorders of the electrical system of the heart (Cardiac electrophysiology)

• Tachycardia
• Cardiac arrhythmias
• Supraventricular tachycardia (Fast rhythms that originate above the ventricles)
• Atrial fibrillation
• Atrial flutter
• Atrial tachycardia
• Sick sinus syndrome (Tachy-Brady syndrome)
• AV nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT)
• AV reentrant tachycardia (AVRT)
• Bigeminy
• Premature ventricular contraction
• Ventricular tachycardia
• Torsades de pointes
• Ventricular fibrillation
• Sick sinus syndrome
• Bundle branch block
• Left bundle branch block
• Right bundle branch block
• Heart block
• First degree AV block
• Second degree AV block
• Bifascicular block
• Trifascicular block
• Third degree AV block
• Lev's disease
• Specific diseases of the electrical system of the heart
• Brugada syndrome
• Long QT syndrome
• Andersen-Tawil syndrome
• Romano-Ward syndrome
• Jervell and Lange-Nielsen syndrome
• Short QT syndrome
• Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome (WPW syndrome)

Inflammation and infection of the heart

• Endocarditis
• Rheumatic heart disease
• Myocarditis
• Pericarditis

Congenital heart disease

• Atrial septal defect
• Ventricular septal defect
• Patent ductus arteriosus
• Bicuspid aortic valve
• Tetralogy of Fallot
• Transposition of the great vessels (TGV)
• Hypoplastic left heart syndrome
• Truncus Arteriosus

Diseases of blood vessels (Vascular diseases)

• Vasculitis
• Atherosclerosis
• Aneurysm
• Varicose veins
• Economy class syndrome
• Diseases of the aorta
• Coarctation of the aorta
• Aortic dissection
• Aortic aneurysm
• Diseases of the carotid arteries
• Carotid artery disease
• Carotid artery dissection

Procedures done for coronary artery disease

• Percutaneous coronary intervention
• Atherectomy
• Angioplasty (PTCA)
• Stenting
• Coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG)
• Enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP)

Devices used in cardiology

• Stethoscope
• Devices used to maintain normal electrical rhythm
• Pacemaker
• Defibrillator
• Automated external defibrillator
• Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator
• Devices used to maintain blood pressure
• Artificial heart
• Heart-lung machine
• Intra-aortic balloon pump
• Ventricular assist device

Diagnostic tests and procedures

• Blood tests
• Echocardiogram
• Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance
• Cardiac stress test
• Auscultation (Listening with the Stethoscope)

Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG)

• QT interval
• Osborn wave

• Programmed electrical stimulation

• Myocardial Fractional Flow Reserve (FFRmyo)
• IVUS (IntraVascular UltraSound)

Cardiac pharmaceutical agents

• Antiarrhythmic agents
• Type I (sodium channel blockers)
• Type Ia
• Quinidine
• Type Ib
• Lidocaine
• Phenytoin
• Type Ic
• Propafenone
• Type II (beta blockers)
• Metoprolol
• Type III (potassium channel blockers)
• Amiodarone
• Dofetilide
• Sotalol
• Type IV (slow calcium channel blockers)
• Diltiazem
• Verapamil
• Type V
• Adenosine
• Digoxin
• ACE inhibitors
• Captopril
• Enalapril
• Perindopril
• Ramipril
• Angiotensin II receptor antagonists
• Candesartan
• Eprosartan
• Irbesartan
• Losartan
• Telmisartan
• Valsartan
• Beta blocker
• Calcium channel blocker

See also

• Interventional cardiology
• Clinical cardiac electrophysiology
• American Heart Association
• National Heart Foundation of Australia

External links

• Cardiology Discussions and New Social Network
• Cardiology News
• European Society of Cardiology
• U.S. National Institute of Health (NIH) : Heart and Circulation
• American College of Cardiology
• Coronary heart disease
• Virtual Cardiac Centre - latest comprehensive information on the field of Cardiology.
• Cardiovascular Physiology - comprehensive explanation of basic concepts in cardiology.
• Preventive Cardiology
• A cardiac atlas using CMR images