Who is a cardiologist?
One in every four people in the US dies due to heart disease. The number of deaths accounts for a staggering 659,000 yearly, making heart disease the top cause of death in the US. There is a direct relation between the kind of lifestyle choices that Americans make, including but not limited to unhealthy dietary habits, sedentary life, and excessive consumption of alcohol, which has made the specialty of cardiology even more essential to deal with the following issues.
Doctors who study the functions of a healthy heart and all the disorders caused directly and indirectly by a dysfunctioning heart are known as cardiologists. Cardiologists study the cardiovascular system, including the heart and its connecting blood vessels. They use medications to prevent, diagnose, and treat heart diseases. Cardiologists also promote the importance of cardiac health by educating people about heart-healthy habits.
All cardiologists in the US must complete the following:
- Four years of undergraduate school
- Four years of medical school
- Three years of residency in internal medicine
- Three years of specialized training in cardiology
- Pass the exam conducted by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM)
Types of cardiologists
A cardiologist near you has multiple subspecialties, such as cardiac imaging or rehabilitation, focusing on heart and vascular problems. Some common subspecialties of cardiology include:
- Clinical cardiologists are involved in diagnosing and managing patients with various heart diseases.
- Interventional cardiologists specialize in performing invasive procedures to treat cardiovascular diseases, such as angioplasty and stenting.
- Electrophysiologists deal with diagnosing and treating heart rhythm disorders, such as arrhythmias.
- Pediatric cardiologists specialize in assessing and treating heart problems in children from birth to adulthood.
- Nuclear cardiologists use nuclear imaging techniques to diagnose and manage heart diseases.
- Cardiovascular surgeons specialize in performing surgical procedures to treat heart and vascular diseases.
- Cardiac rehabilitation specialists help patients recover from heart attacks, surgeries, or other cardiovascular procedures through exercise and lifestyle changes.
These are just some examples of the different types of cardiologists that exist. Each medical professional specializes in a specific area of expertise within cardiology, allowing them to provide more focused and individualized care to their patients.
Standard diagnostic tests that cardiologists perform
- An electrocardiogram, a diagnostic test, records the heart’s electrical activity. The cardiologist places electrodes on the skin in the chest region and plots a graph of voltage vs. time on the computer monitor.
- Cardiac catheterization is inserting a flexible catheter through the heart's blood vessels to diagnose and open up clogged arteries and fix irregular heartbeats.
- A stress test also referred to as an exercise stress test or cardiac stress test, uses exercise or intravenous drugs to induce stress and measure the heart's ability to react to external pressures. This test further helps assess blood and oxygen flow through the heart vessels.
- A cardiac biopsy is a diagnostic procedure in which a tiny bit of tissue from the heart's inner lining is removed and examined under a microscope to detect abnormalities in the heart.
Common conditions that cardiologists treat
Heart attack: When there is insufficient blood flow to the heart, it leads to damage due to lack of oxygen. This is known as a heart attack or myocardial infarction. The longer the time between the cutting off of blood flow to the heart and the treatment, the more significant and permanent the damage. Cardiologists train to restore the blood flow to the heart with techniques such as surgery, angioplasty, thrombolysis, or a combination of these treatment modalities.
High blood pressure: When blood flow through the arteries is higher than usual, hypertension or high blood pressure is known as hypertension. 120/80 is the normal blood pressure in humans. Hypertension is anything above 140/90; the condition is severe and dire when the pressure goes beyond 180/120. Cardiologists order tests to find the cause of the increase in blood pressure and then treat them with medications and lifestyle changes.
Arrhythmia: Any irregularity in the heartbeats caused by improper electrical impulses in the heart is known as arrhythmia. Cardiologists specialize in arrhythmias; they use medications, cardioversion procedures, catheter procedures, vagal maneuvers, and heart surgery to correct cardiac impulse irregularities.
Atrial fibrillation: The human heart comprises four chambers, two at the top (atria) and two at the bottom (ventricles). The heart rate becomes irregular whenever there is a lack of coordination between the heart chambers, leading to deadly complications such as stroke and heart failure. Cardiologists use standard modes of treatment to treat atrial fibrillation, including drugs, ablation surgery, and cardioversion.
High cholesterol: Cholesterol is a wax-like substance made in the liver and is crucial for building cell walls and keeping them healthy. However, when the amount of cholesterol in the blood vessels increases, it impedes blood flow and increases the risk of coronary heart disease. Medications, combined with lifestyle changes such as regular exercise and a healthy diet, help bring cholesterol levels to the normal range.
Pericarditis: The pericardium surrounds the heart muscle, and it helps protect the heart by reducing the friction between the heart and the surrounding organs. Any swelling or irritation in this membrane is known as pericarditis, which usually presents as sharp pains in the chest. While mild cases improve independently, severe ones need medications and surgery to fix the pericardium.
When should you visit a cardiologist near you?
If you are experiencing breath shortness, dizziness, fainting spells, fluttering sensation in the chest, or chest pains, make an appointment with a cardiologist as soon as possible. But if you feel a sudden tightness under your breastbone, radiating pain in your left arm or back, sharp pain in the chest, difficulty breathing, excessive sweating with nausea and dizziness, or low blood pressure, call 911 immediately.
What to expect during a cardiology appointment?
At an appointment with a cardiologist near you, you can anticipate a physical examination that includes a thorough listening of your heart to assess blood flow and detect any abnormal heart rhythm. You should also prepare to provide information about your medical history and your family's history of heart issues. This information can assist the cardiologist in identifying potential heart problems that you may have.
Your healthcare provider might inquire about the duration of your symptoms, the nature of the pain or discomfort you experience, the activity you were engaged in when the symptoms began, and any remedies that alleviate your symptoms. They may also ask whether you underwent any cardiac surgery and inquire about previous medical imaging records and your current medications.
If your cardiologist possesses the necessary equipment, they may conduct an electrocardiogram to assess your heart's rhythm rapidly. They may also schedule a different appointment for additional tests requiring specialized scanning machines only available in hospitals.
How do you maintain good cardiovascular health?
One cannot control certain risk factors for heart disease, like family history, sex at birth, or age. However, you can take numerous extra measures to reduce your risk of heart disease, such as:
- Don't smoke or consume tobacco: Giving up smoking is one of the best things you can do for your cardiovascular health. Even if you don't smoke, avoid passive smoking.
- Keep moving: Try to get in between 30 and 60 minutes of daily exercise to help reduce the risk of developing heart-related disease. Engaging in physical activity also assists with weight control. It also reduces the likelihood of developing other illnesses that could strain the heart. These include high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes.
- Choose heart-healthy food: A heart-healthy diet can improve blood pressure as well as cholesterol, reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, and protect the heart. This diet should consist of vegetables, fruits, legumes, seafood, lean meats, dairy items with reduced or no fat, complete grains, and healthy fats, which include nuts, seeds, olive oil, and avocado.
- Get enough sleep: Those who don't get enough sleep are more likely to develop diabetes, depression, high blood pressure, obesity, and heart attack. Most adults require seven hours or more of sleep every night. Typically, children need more. Thus, be sure that you get adequate sleep. Create a sleep schedule and follow it by setting your bedtime and wake-up timings for each day to achieve that. Maintain a calm and dark bedroom to promote better sleep.
- Manage stress: Chronic stress could increase blood pressure and other heart-related risk factors. Exercise, mindfulness, meditation, yoga, and relaxation techniques are healthy coping mechanisms to help manage stress.
You can enjoy good heart health by incorporating the above-mentioned steps into your lifestyle. The importance of heart health was also highlighted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as they have established February as American Heart Month to educate the public about heart disease and stroke.
What are some rare cardiovascular diseases?
Cardiovascular disease is the major cause of death worldwide, impacting millions every year. While most people know of common CVD, like coronary artery disease, arrhythmias, and heart failure, there are several less common cardiovascular diseases that are not as widely recognized.
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a condition characterized by high blood pressure in the arteries that supply blood to the lungs. If untreated, PAH can cause heart failure. Often, PAH is misdiagnosed as asthma or other respiratory conditions, delaying needed treatment.
Homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia is a genetic disorder leading to extremely high levels of LDL cholesterol from birth. This severe form of familial hypercholesterolemia can cause early cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks and strokes.
Transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) is marked by the buildup of a protein called amyloid in the heart muscle, causing it to thicken and stiffen, which can result in heart failure. Diagnosing ATTR-CM can be challenging, but early diagnosis is crucial for effective treatment.
Hereditary hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a rare genetic condition that causes heart muscle thickening, which makes it harder for the heart to pump blood. It can cause cardiac death and is a major cause of heart-related deaths in young people.
Although rare individually, these cardiovascular diseases significantly impact patients’ quality of life and collectively present a substantial burden on healthcare systems, highlighting the need for a coordinated approach to address these unique challenges.
Finding the best cardiologist near you in Miami
Discovering issues with the heart and the blood vessels beforehand is crucial for preventing several cardiovascular problems. However, finding the right cardiologist in Miami can take time and effort. With Zocdoc, your search for the best-qualified cardiologists becomes simpler.
Type in your symptoms, current residential address, preferred date and time for an appointment, the insurance company, and your current plan on the Zocdoc website. You can add your medical, dental, and vision insurance plans to your Zocdoc account. However, when searching for and booking an appointment, you can only use one insurance plan at a time. If you have more than one insurance plan, you can mention your secondary insurance provider and plan in the notes for the provider during the final step of booking.
If your provider uses Zocdoc’s Intake forms, you’ll also have the option to include secondary insurance while filling out your forms online. For additional questions about insurance, visit Zocdoc’s insurance page.
The website will immediately take you to a list of the best cardiologists in Miami, Florida. Zocdoc also provides detailed profiles for every doctor listed on the website to make choosing a practitioner simple. The profile contains information about the cardiologist's qualifications, certifications, work experience, awards, and verified patient reviews.
With Zocdoc, you can make online and in-person appointments with a cardiologist near you on your day of choice and even the same day, depending on the doctor's availability. All bookings on Zocdoc are free, fast, and secure!
Statistics on heart diseases in Miami, Florida
The CDC provides an Interactive Atlas of Heart Disease and Stroke that helps you find data on hospitalization rates for all heart problems in all the geographical regions of the US. According to this atlas, between 2017 and 2019, the heart disease hospitalization rate for every 1,000 Medicare beneficiaries in Florida was 48.1. The report included people of all genders and ethnicities above 65. For Miami-Dade County, this value was 43.9.
The Florida Department of Health published the Community Health Assessment 2020 for Miami-Dade County. According to this report, there was a drop in the death rates due to heart disease in Miami-Dade County. The numbers reached 140.2 in 2018, while they stood at 157.9 in 2014. The rates have been favorably decreasing for both male and female populations. In men, the death rate reduced from 205.6 in 2014 to 188.1 in 2018. In women, the number went down from 122.9 in 2014 to 105 in 2018; however, there is a long way to go to meet the national target of 103.4 deaths per 100,000 population.
Sources
WebMD
Cleveland Clinic
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County
Mayo Clinic
World Heart Federation
