What is cardiology?
Cardiology focuses on heart disorders, their diagnosis, and treatment. Its three main sub-disciplines are invasive, non-invasive, and interventional cardiology.
Cardiologists are doctors of cardiology. Some common conditions these heart doctors treat include congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, electrophysiology, heart failure, and valvular heart disease, among others. If your heart condition requires surgical treatment, your physician may refer you to a cardiac surgeon. If your condition is treatable by medicine and lifestyle changes, your cardiologist shall use other interventional techniques or a combination of the methods to treat your cardiac condition.
Education and training of a cardiologist
Becoming a cardiologist involves extensive medical training, typically spanning a minimum of 10 years. This training includes four years of medical school to acquire a general medical education, followed by three years of training in internal medicine, which covers various aspects of adult medical care. Subsequently, heart doctors undergo three additional years of specialized medical training solely dedicated to cardiology.
To become certified as a cardiologist, doctors must pass the cardiovascular disease examination administered by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM). This examination ensures their competence in cardiology and qualifies them to practice as certified cardiologists.
What is invasive cardiology?
If your treatment plan includes invasive cardiology, your heart doctors shall use open or minimally invasive surgeries to identify and treat structural or electrical abnormalities in the heart.
Angioplasty and stenting are common types of invasive cardiology procedures. During angioplasty, the cardiologist inserts a tiny balloon into the clogged vein and pushes the plaque against the heart walls, allowing increased blood flow. If plaque has clogged your arteries, making it difficult for blood to flow normally, you must undergo angioplasty.
During stenting, your cardiologist will place a small metal coil called a cardiac stent in your heart to hold a clogged vein permanently. Cardiologists often perform stenting in conjunction with angioplasty.
What are some tests done or ordered by cardiologists?
Before delving into the various heart tests available, assessing your heart's function and identifying potential issues is essential. The different screening tests that cardiologists suggest include the following:
Ambulatory ECG: This test records your heart's rhythms while you go about your daily activities, giving doctors a comprehensive view of your heart's function.
Echocardiogram: An echocardiogram provides ultrasound images of your heart's structure and function, helping doctors assess its pumping ability and detect any abnormalities or infections.
Exercise test (stress test): This test monitors your heart's rhythm while you rest and exercise, helping doctors evaluate its performance and limitations.
Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG): An ECG records the electrical activity of your heart, assisting doctors to assess its health.
Cardiac electrophysiology: A subspecialty of cardiology, cardiac electrophysiology focuses on understanding the heart's electrical currents and patterns to diagnose and treat abnormal heart rhythms.
Cardiac catheterization involves inserting a tiny tube into or near your heart to collect data, assess its function, and relieve blockages.
Electrophysiology Study (EPS): A catheter or tube is inserted into the vein. It is then guided to the heart to measure its electrical signals, helping doctors identify the cause of symptoms and determine the need for further treatment.
Nuclear cardiology: Nuclear imaging techniques using radioactive materials help diagnose cardiovascular disorders noninvasively, including infarction imaging and myocardial perfusion imaging.
What are some risk factors for heart disease?
Cardiac risk factors are of two types: one type you can control, and the other you cannot. Heart disease risk factors that revolve around your lifestyle are controllable. Common examples include smoking, unhealthy cholesterol, physical inactivity, obesity, uncontrolled diabetes, stress, depression, and anger.
Smokers are at more than twice the risk of heart attack than nonsmokers. Passive smoking also raises the risk of heart disease. Nonetheless, it is also the most preventable risk factor. In case of unhealthy cholesterol numbers, you may switch to a low-cholesterol, low-sugar, and high-carbohydrate diet to reduce the risk of heart disease. Uncontrolled high blood pressure, with about 67 million Americans as its victims, is the most common heart disease risk factor prevalent in the United States.
If your BMI is greater than 25, your risk of heart disease is much higher than average. Weight loss, diet, and exercise may help reduce this risk factor. You may use a healthier diet plan and exercise to control diabetes and prevent heart disease. If required, your cardiologist may suggest medication to assist you. Lastly, relaxation techniques may be helpful for uncontrolled stress, anger, or depression. Therapy, time management, realistic goal setting, and mindfulness may help reduce this heart disease risk factor.
Common uncontrollable heart disease risk factors include being male, old, or postmenopausal. It also includes having a family history of heart disease and belonging to the African-American, Native American, and Mexican-American races. Detailed surveys and studies have confirmed these risk factors.
What are heart pacemakers?
Pacemakers are tiny devices that help regulate your heart's rhythm. They're beneficial for treating conditions like arrhythmias, which disrupt your heart's normal beat. By sending electrical pulses, pacemakers can keep your heart beating steadily, reducing symptoms like fatigue, weakness, and shortness of breath.
Inserting a pacemaker involves a simple surgery. Your doctor will insert wires through a vein near your collarbone and guide them to your heart using X-ray imaging. Then, they'll place the pacemaker's generator and battery near your chest. After a brief hospital stay for monitoring, you can return to your routine within a few days.
When should you visit a cardiologist?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have designated February as American Heart Month to raise awareness about heart ailments and stroke and emphasize the significance of heart health.
If you exhibit signs of a heart condition, your doctor may recommend visiting a cardiologist near you. Indications that may suggest a heart issue encompass:
- Difficulty breathing
- Feeling lightheaded or dizzy
- Chest discomfort
- Irregularities in heart rate or rhythm
- Elevated blood pressure
A cardiologist can conduct tests to identify the presence of a heart murmur or abnormal heart rhythm. They commonly treat patients who have experienced a heart attack, heart failure, or other cardiac ailments. Moreover, they play a role in determining the necessity of heart surgery, heart catheterization, angioplasty, and stenting. They also specialize in managing various heart conditions, including:
- Atherosclerosis
- Atrial fibrillation
- Arrhythmias
- Congenital heart disease
- Coronary heart disease
- Congestive heart disease
- High blood cholesterol and triglycerides
- Hypertension
- Pericarditis
- Ventricular tachycardia
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
Furthermore, cardiologists offer guidance on heart disease prevention. It may be imperative for you to consult a cardiologist, even in the absence of symptoms, if you have had a history of heart disease or high cholesterol levels. You should also visit a cardiologist near you if you are or were a smoker, if you have diabetes, or if you are initiating a new exercise regimen. Additionally, women who have experienced pre-eclampsia are at an increased risk of encountering heart problems in subsequent pregnancies or during menopause.
What to expect at your first cardiology session?
Your cardiologist may consider multiple factors when diagnosing a heart condition during your first visit. They may review your medical records to evaluate your overall heart health. They may also check your blood pressure, test your blood vessels, and inquire more about your symptoms and habits.
Your cardiologist will analyze your test results to diagnose your condition and recommend treatment. They may prescribe medications and suggest lifestyle changes like diet, exercise, stress reduction, and weight management to complement your recovery plan. In case of serious illness demanding severe action, your cardiologists might recommend heart surgery of varying degrees or procedures such as a pacemaker implant or inserting a cardiac catheter.
How do you keep your heart healthy?
Here are the top strategies to keep your heart healthy:
A healthy diet helps maintain cholesterol levels and blood pressure. It can also decrease the chances of high blood sugar and diabetes. Your daily diet should include vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, low-fat dairy foods, whole grains, lean meat, and fish. Restrict your intake of sugar, salt, saturated fat, trans fat, processed carbohydrates, and alcohol.
Daily physical activity dramatically lowers the risk of heart disease. It controls your weight, improves blood pressure, reduces cholesterol levels, and keeps your heart healthy. If you lead an inactive or sedentary lifestyle, it's time to start doing some physical activity. Begin by doing at least 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity daily. These could include dancing, climbing stairs, doing household chores, brisk walking, and gardening. They cause a gentle increase in the heart rate, which keeps the heart healthy.
- Quit smoking and tobacco use.
Nicotine present in tobacco can damage the blood vessels and the heart. Smoking reduces blood oxygen levels, increasing heart rate and blood pressure. Quitting smoking and tobacco use is the best way to improve your heart health. It also has multiple long-term health benefits. Heart disease risk drops by nearly half in one year after quitting compared to smokers.
Chronic stress could lead to unhealthy habits such as smoking, alcohol consumption, or overeating. These habits are harmful to the heart. To cope with stress and improve your heart health, practice healthier stress management methods, such as relaxation, meditation, and physical activity.
Obesity and being overweight, especially around the belly area, significantly increase cardiovascular disease risks. A BMI or body mass index of about 25 and more is deemed overweight or obese. It also leads to high blood pressure and cholesterol. Men and women with waist measurements of 40 inches (101.6 centimeters) or more and 35 inches (88.9 centimeters) or more, respectively, are at a higher risk of developing heart disease.
Insufficient sleep can result in obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, depression, and heart attack. Adults require at least seven hours of continuous sleep at night. Create a sleep time and schedule and follow it diligently. Keep the bedroom quiet and dark so it's easy to sleep at night.
Finding the best cardiologists in Katy, Texas
Making informed decisions while choosing your cardiologist may prove beneficial. At Zocdoc, we help you connect with the best cardiologists. Be it helping you find your primary cardiologist or a cardiologist for a second opinion on your diagnosis or treatment.
Find the best cardiologist in the search query by entering your location (Katy, Texas), condition or specialty (chest pain, cardiologist), and preferred appointment date. Zocdoc's comprehensive healthcare directory shall allow you to access Katy's top-rated and experienced cardiologist profiles. Each profile displays the doctor's educational qualifications, board certifications, clinical interests, specializations, practice history, certifications, and spoken languages. It also informs you about previous patient ratings and reviews. You may further filter hundreds of cardiologist profiles based on your unique case requirement and gender preference.
Zocdoc also helps make your insurance submitting process hassle-free by letting you filter cardiologists according to those who accept your plan. If you want to know your insurance plan, upload an image of your insurance card to your Zocdoc account, and we will find and display information regarding your insurance plan (this facility is not available for vision or dental plans). You can even contact the Zocdoc service team if you need help uploading a photo of your card. Check out Zocdoc's patient help center for more information and solutions related to insurance.
Once you select the best cardiologist near you to help you with your case, click on the book appointment option. Zocdoc will assist you in instantly booking an appointment for your first session. Zocdoc also allows you to book video appointments before in-person visits. Look for a purple video icon on your cardiologist's profile or filter the video appointment selection.
Booking appointments with cardiologists through Zocdoc is free, fast, and secure.
Statistics on Texas's rank for heart disease mortality in the US between 2015 and 2022
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports heart disease as Texas's leading cause of death. Surveys for 2020, 2018, 2017, 2016, and 2015 suggest a consistent ranking based on heart disease mortality in Texas, with a slightly lower mortality rate in 2019 and higher than the average rate in 2020 and 2018. The year-wise heart disease mortality rates for Texas are listed below:
- As per data for 2020, Texas ranked 17th in the US for heart disease mortality rates. The mortality rate stood at 173.9 per 100,000 total population, with 50,281 deaths in the state.
- In 2019, Texas ranked 20th in the US for heart disease mortality rates. The mortality rate stood at 163.4 per 100,000, with a total of 46,139 deaths in the state.
- In 2018, Texas ranked 17th in the US for heart disease mortality rates. The mortality rate stood at 170 per 100,000, with a total of 46,763 deaths in the state.
- In 2017, Texas ranked 18th in the US for heart disease mortality rates. The mortality rate stood at 169.2 per 100,000, with a total of 45,346 deaths in the state.
- In 2016, Texas ranked 18th in the US for heart disease mortality rates. The mortality rate stood at 167.7 per 100,000, with 43,772 deaths in the state.
- In 2015, Texas ranked 18th in the US for heart disease mortality rates. The mortality rate stood at 171.6 per 100,000, with a total of 43,298 deaths in the state.
Sources
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