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Cardiology (from Greek
Ancient Greek

Ancient Greek is the historical stage in the development of the Greek language spanning across the Archaic Greece , Classical Greece , and Hellenistic civilization periods of ancient Greece and the classical antiquity....
 , kardia, "heart"; and , -logia
-logy

-logy is a suffix in English language, found in words originally adapted from Ancient Greek words ending in -????a . The earliest English examples were anglicizations of the French language -logie, which was in turn inherited from the Latin language -logia....
) is a subspecialty of internal medicine
Internal medicine

Internal Medicine is the medical specialty concerned with the diagnosis, management and nonsurgical treatment of unusual or serious diseases. In North America, specialists in internal medicine are commonly called, "Internists." Elsewhere, especially in Commonwealth of Nations nations, such specialists are often called Physicians....
 dealing with disorders of the heart
Heart

The heart is a muscle organ in all vertebrates responsible for pumping blood through the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions, or a similar structure in annelids, mollusks, and arthropods....
 and blood vessel
Blood vessel

The blood vessels are the part of the circulatory system that transport blood throughout the body. There are three major types of blood vessels: the artery, which carry the blood away from the heart, the capillary, which enable the actual exchange of water and chemicals between the blood and the tissues; and the veins, which carry blood from...
s. The field includes diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defect
Congenital heart defect

A congenital heart defect is a defect in the structure of the heart and great vessels of a newborn. Most heart defects either obstruct blood flow in the heart or blood vessel near it or cause blood to circulatory system through the heart in an abnormal pattern, although other defects affecting heart rhythm can also occur....
s, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular heart disease
Valvular heart disease

Valvular heart disease is any disease process involving one or more of the Heart valve . Valve problems may be congenital or acquired . Treatment may be with medication but often involves valve repair or valve replacement ....
 and electrophysiology
Electrophysiology

Electrophysiology is the study of the electrical properties of biological cell s and tissues. It involves measurements of voltage change or electric current on a wide variety of scales from single ion channel proteins to whole organs like the heart....
. Physicians specializing in this field of medicine are called cardiologists.






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Cardiology (from Greek
Ancient Greek

Ancient Greek is the historical stage in the development of the Greek language spanning across the Archaic Greece , Classical Greece , and Hellenistic civilization periods of ancient Greece and the classical antiquity....
 , kardia, "heart"; and , -logia
-logy

-logy is a suffix in English language, found in words originally adapted from Ancient Greek words ending in -????a . The earliest English examples were anglicizations of the French language -logie, which was in turn inherited from the Latin language -logia....
) is a subspecialty of internal medicine
Internal medicine

Internal Medicine is the medical specialty concerned with the diagnosis, management and nonsurgical treatment of unusual or serious diseases. In North America, specialists in internal medicine are commonly called, "Internists." Elsewhere, especially in Commonwealth of Nations nations, such specialists are often called Physicians....
 dealing with disorders of the heart
Heart

The heart is a muscle organ in all vertebrates responsible for pumping blood through the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions, or a similar structure in annelids, mollusks, and arthropods....
 and blood vessel
Blood vessel

The blood vessels are the part of the circulatory system that transport blood throughout the body. There are three major types of blood vessels: the artery, which carry the blood away from the heart, the capillary, which enable the actual exchange of water and chemicals between the blood and the tissues; and the veins, which carry blood from...
s. The field includes diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defect
Congenital heart defect

A congenital heart defect is a defect in the structure of the heart and great vessels of a newborn. Most heart defects either obstruct blood flow in the heart or blood vessel near it or cause blood to circulatory system through the heart in an abnormal pattern, although other defects affecting heart rhythm can also occur....
s, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular heart disease
Valvular heart disease

Valvular heart disease is any disease process involving one or more of the Heart valve . Valve problems may be congenital or acquired . Treatment may be with medication but often involves valve repair or valve replacement ....
 and electrophysiology
Electrophysiology

Electrophysiology is the study of the electrical properties of biological cell s and tissues. It involves measurements of voltage change or electric current on a wide variety of scales from single ion channel proteins to whole organs like the heart....
. Physicians specializing in this field of medicine are called cardiologists. Cardiologists should not be confused with cardiac surgeon
Cardiac surgeon

File:Coronary artery bypass surgery Image_657B-PH.jpgA cardiac surgeon is a surgeon who performs cardiac surgery?operative procedures on the heart and great vessels....
s who are surgeons who perform cardiac surgery - operative procedures on the heart and great vessels.

The term cardiology is derived from the Greek
Greek language

Greek is an Indo-European languages native to the southern Balkan peninsula, the language of the Greek people. It forms an independent branch within Indo-European....
 word ?a?d?? (transliterated as kardia and meaning heart or inner self).

The Cardiac Muscle


Cardiac pacemaker
Cardiac pacemaker

The contractions of the heart are controlled by chemical impulses, which fire at a rate which controls the beat of the heart.The cell s that create these rhythmical impulses are called pacemaker cells, and they directly control the heart rate....
 (Electrical system of the heart)

  • Electrical conduction system of the heart
    Electrical conduction system of the heart

    The normal electrical conduction in the heart allows the impulse that is generated by the sinoatrial node of the heart to be propagated to the myocardium ....
    • Action potential
      Action potential

      An action potential is a self-regenerating wave of electrochemical activity that allows nerve cells to carry a signal over a distance. It is the primary electrical signal generated by nerve cells, and arises from changes in the permeability of the nerve cell's axonal Cell membranes to specific ions....
      • Ventricular action potential
        Ventricular action potential

        At rest, the ventricular myocyte cell potential is about -90 mV, which is close to the potassium reversal potential. When an action potential is generated, the membrane potential rises above this level in four distinct phases....
  • Sinoatrial node
    Sinoatrial node

    The sinoatrial node is the impulse generating tissue located in the right atrium of the heart, and thus the generator of sinus rhythm. It is a group of cells positioned on the wall of the right atrium, near the entrance of the superior vena cava....
  • Atrioventricular node
    Atrioventricular node

    The atrioventricular node is a part of electrical control system of the heart that co-ordinates heart rate. It electrically connects atrial and ventricular chambers....
  • Bundle of His
    Bundle of His

    The bundle of His, also known as the AV bundle or atrioventricular bundle, is a collection of heart muscle cells specialized for electrical conduction that transmits the action potential from the AV node to the point of the apex of the fascicular branches....
  • Purkinje fibers
    Purkinje fibers

    For the nervous cells, see Purkinje cellPurkinje fibers are located in the inner Ventricle walls of the heart, just beneath the endocardium....
  • Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction)


Basic cardiac physiology

  • Systole
    Systole

    Systole can mean the following:*Systole is a term describing the contraction of the heart.*Systolic geometry is a term used in mathematics....
  • Diastole
    Diastole

    Diastole is the period of time when the heart fills with blood after systole . Ventricle diastole is the period during which the ventricles are relaxing, while atrium diastole is the period during which the atria are relaxing....
  • Heart sounds
    Heart sounds

    The heart sounds are the noises generated by the beating heart and the resultant flow of blood through it. This is also called a heartbeat....
  • Preload
  • Afterload
    Afterload

    [Image:Heart systole.svg|thumb|Ventricular systole. In cardiology physiology, afterload is used to mean the tension produced by a chamber of the heart in order to contraction....
  • Kussmaul's sign
    Kussmaul's sign

    Kussmaul's sign is the observation of a jugular venous pressure that rises with inspiration. It can be seen in some forms of cardiology. It is usually indicative of right ventricular dysfunction along with hypotension and "dry lungs" ....
  • Heartburn - Gastroesophageal reflux disease


Disorders of the heart


Disorders of the coronary circulation
Coronary circulation

Coronary circulation is the circulation of blood in the blood vessels of the heart muscle. Although blood fills the chambers of the heart, the muscle tissue of the heart is so thick that it requires coronary blood vessels to deliver blood deep into it....
 


  • Atherosclerosis
    Atherosclerosis

    Atherosclerosis is a syndrome affecting artery blood vessels. It is a chronic inflammatory response in the walls of arteries, in large part due to the accumulation of macrophage white blood cells and promoted by low density lipoproteins without adequate removal of fats and cholesterol from the macrophages by functional high density lipoprot...
  • Restenosis
    Restenosis

    Restenosis literally means the reoccurrence of stenosis, a narrowing of a blood vessel, leading to restricted blood flow. Restenosis usually pertains to an artery or other large blood vessel that has become narrowed, received treatment to clear the blockage and subsequently become renarrowed....
  • Coronary heart disease
    Coronary heart disease

    Coronary artery disease is the end result of the accumulation of atheroma within the walls of the Coronary circulation that supply the myocardium with oxygen and nutrients....
     (Ischaemic heart disease
    Ischaemic heart disease

    Ischaemic or ischemic heart disease , or myocardial ischaemia, is a disease characterized by reduced blood supply to the myocardium, usually due to Coronary heart disease ....
    , Coronary artery disease)
  • Acute coronary syndrome
    Acute coronary syndrome

    An acute coronary syndrome is a set of signs and symptoms related to the heart. ACS is compatible with a diagnosis of acute myocardial ischemia, but it is not pathognomonic....
    • Angina
    • Myocardial infarction
      Myocardial infarction

      Myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when the Blood flow to part of the heart is interrupted. This is most commonly due to occlusion of a coronary artery following the rupture of a Vulnerable plaque, which is an unstable collection of lipids and white blood cells in the wall of an artery....
       (Heart attack)


Sudden cardiac death
Sudden Cardiac Death

The term sudden cardiac death refers to natural death from cardiac causes, heralded by abrupt loss of consciousness within one hour of the onset of acute symptoms....
 (The abrupt cessation of blood flow, leading to death)

  • Cardiac arrest
    Cardiac arrest

    A cardiac arrest, also known as cardiopulmonary arrest or circulatory arrest, is the abrupt cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively during Systole ....

Treatment of sudden cardiac death

  • Cardiopulmonary resuscitation
    Cardiopulmonary resuscitation

    Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is an emergency medical procedure for a victim of cardiac arrest or, in some circumstances, respiratory arrest. CPR is performed in hospitals, or in the community by layman or by emergency response professionals....
     (CPR)


Disorders of the myocardium (muscle of the heart)

  • Cardiomyopathy
    Cardiomyopathy

    Cardiomyopathy, which literally means "heart muscle disease," is the deterioration of the function of the myocardium for any reason. People with cardiomyopathy are often at risk of arrhythmia or sudden cardiac death or both....
    • Ischemic cardiomyopathy
    • Nonischemic cardiomyopathy
      • Amyloid cardiomyopathy
      • Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
        Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

        Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, HCM or HOCM, is a disease of the myocardium in which a portion of the myocardium is left ventricular hypertrophy without any obvious cause....
         (HCM)
        • Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) (Idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis (IHSS))
        • hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
          Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

          Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, HCM or HOCM, is a disease of the myocardium in which a portion of the myocardium is left ventricular hypertrophy without any obvious cause....
      • Dilated cardiomyopathy
        Dilated cardiomyopathy

        Dilated cardiomyopathy or DCM, also known as congestive cardiomyopathy, is a condition in which the heart becomes weakened and enlarged, and cannot pump blood efficiently....
        • Alcoholic cardiomyopathy
          Alcoholic cardiomyopathy

          Alcoholic cardiomyopathy is a disease in which the chronic long-term abuse of alcohol leads to heart failure. Alcoholic cardiomyopathy is a type of dilated cardiomyopathy....
        • Tachycardia induced cardiomyopathy
        • Takotsubo cardiomyopathy
          Takotsubo cardiomyopathy

          Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, also known as transient apical ballooning, apical ballooning cardiomyopathy, stress-induced cardiomyopathy and simply stress cardiomyopathy, is a type of non-Ischemia cardiomyopathy in which there is a sudden temporary weakening of the myocardium ....
           (Transient apical ballooning, stress-induced cardiomyopathy)
      • Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia
        Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia

        Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia is a type of nonischemic cardiomyopathy that involves primarily the right ventricle. It is characterized by hypokinetic areas involving the free wall of the right ventricle, with fibrofatty replacement of the right ventricular myocardium, with associated arrhythmias originating in the right ventric...
         (Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy)
      • Restrictive cardiomyopathy
        Restrictive cardiomyopathy

        Restrictive cardiomyopathy is a form of cardiomyopathy in which the walls are rigid, and the heart is restricted from stretching and filling with blood properly....
  • Congestive heart failure
    Congestive heart failure

    Heart failure is a condition in which a problem with the structure or function of the heart impairs its ability to supply sufficient blood flow to meet the body's needs....
    • Cor pulmonale
      Cor pulmonale

      Cor pulmonale or pulmonary heart disease is a change in structure and function of the right ventricle of the heart as a result of a Respiratory system disorder....
  • Ventricular hypertrophy
    Ventricular hypertrophy

    Ventricular hypertrophy is the enlargement of Ventricle in the heart. Although left ventricular hypertrophy is more common, enlargement can also occur in the right ventricle, or both ventricles....
    • Left ventricular hypertrophy
      Left ventricular hypertrophy

      Left ventricular hypertrophy is the thickening of the myocardium of the left ventricle of the heart....
    • Right ventricular hypertrophy
      Right ventricular hypertrophy

      Right ventricular hypertrophy is a form of ventricular hypertrophy affecting the right ventricle.Blood travels through the right ventricle to the lungs....
  • Primary tumors of the heart
    Primary tumors of the heart

    The primary tumors of the heart are tumors that arise from the normal tissues that make up the heart. This is in contrast to secondary tumors of the heart, which are typically either metastatic cancer from another part of the body, or infiltrate the heart via direct extension from the surrounding tissues....
    • Myxoma
      Myxoma

      A myxoma is a tumor of primitive connective tissue. It is the most common primary tumor of the heart, but can also occur in other locations.The phrase "myxomatous degeneration" refers to the process in which connective tissue becomes filled with mucus....
  • Myocardial rupture
    Myocardial rupture

    Myocardial rupture is a laceration or tearing of the walls of the Ventricle s or atria of the heart, of the interatrial septum or interventricular septum, of the papillary muscles or chordae tendineae or of one of the heart valve....


Disorders of the pericardium
Pericardium

The pericardium is a double-walled sac that contains the heart and the roots of the great vessels....
 (outer lining of the heart)

  • Pericarditis
    Pericarditis

    Pericarditis is an inflammation of the pericardium . Pericarditis is further classified according to the composition of the inflammatory exudate: serous, purulent, fibrinous, caseous, and hemorrhagic types are distinguished....
  • Pericardial tamponade
    Cardiac tamponade

    Cardiac tamponade, also known as pericardial tamponade, is an medical emergency condition in which fluid accumulates in the pericardium . If the fluid significantly elevates the pressure on the heart it will prevent the Ventricle from filling properly....
  • Constrictive pericarditis
    Constrictive pericarditis

    In many cases, constrictive pericarditis is a late sequela of an inflammatory condition of the pericardium. The inflammatory condition is usually an infection that involves the pericardium, but it may be after a myocardial infarction or after coronary artery bypass surgery....


Disorders of the heart valves

  • Aortic valve
    Aortic valve

    The aortic valve is one of the heart valve of the heart. It lies between the left ventricle and the aorta....
     disorders
    • Aortic insufficiency
      Aortic insufficiency

      Aortic insufficiency , also known as aortic regurgitation , is the leaking of the aortic valve of the heart that causes blood to flow in the reverse direction during ventricular diastole, from the aorta into the left ventricle....
    • Aortic stenosis
    • Aortic valve replacement
      Aortic valve replacement

      Aortic valve replacement is a cardiac surgery procedure in which a patient's aortic valve is replaced by a different valve. The aortic valve can be affected by a range of diseases; the valve can either become leaky or partially blocked ....
    • Aortic valve repair
      Aortic valve repair

      Aortic valve repair is a surgical procedure used to correct some aortic valve disorders as an alternative to aortic valve replacement. Aortic valve repair is performed less often and is more technically difficult than mitral valve repair....
    • Aortic valvuloplasty
      Aortic valvuloplasty

      Aortic valvuloplasty is the repair of a Aortic stenosis using a balloon catheter inside the valve. The balloon is placed into the aortic valve that has become stiff from calcium buildup....
  • Mitral valve
    Mitral valve

    The mitral valve is a dual-flap heart valve in the heart that lies between the left atrium and the left ventricle . The mitral valve and the tricuspid valve are known collectively as the atrioventricular valves because they lie between the atria and the ventricles of the heart and control the flow of blood....
     disorders
    • Mitral valve prolapse
      Mitral valve prolapse

      Mitral valve prolapse is a valvular heart disease characterized by the displacement of an abnormally thickened mitral valve leaflet into the atria of the heart during systole....
    • Mitral regurgitation
      Mitral regurgitation

      Mitral regurgitation , a valvular heart disease also known as mitral insufficiency or mitral incompetence, is the abnormal leaking of blood through the mitral valve, from the left ventricle into the left atrium of the heart....
    • Mitral stenosis
      Mitral stenosis

      Mitral stenosis is a valvular heart disease characterized by the narrowing of the orifice of the mitral valve of the heart....
    • Mitral valve replacement
      Mitral valve replacement

      Mitral valve replacement is a cardiac surgery procedure in which a patient?s mitral valve is replaced by a different valve. Mitral valve replacement is typically performed Robotic surgery or manually, when the valve becomes too tight for blood to flow into the left ventricle , or too loose in which case blood can leak into the left atrium...
    • Mitral valve repair
      Mitral valve repair

      Mitral valve repair is a cardiac surgery procedure performed by cardiac surgeons to treat stenosis or regurgitation of the mitral valve. The mitral valve is the "inflow valve" for the left side of the heart....
    • Mitral valvuloplasty
      Mitral valvuloplasty

      Mitral valvuloplasty is a minimally invasive therapeutic procedure to correct an uncomplicated mitral stenosis by dilating the valve using a balloon....
  • Pulmonary valve
    Pulmonary valve

    The pulmonary valve, is the heart valves of the heart that lies between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery and has three cusps. Similar to the aortic valve, the pulmonic valve opens in cardiac cycle, when the pressure in the right ventricle rises above the pressure in the pulmonary artery....
     disorders
    • Congenital pulmonic stenosis
  • Tricuspid valve
    Tricuspid valve

    The tricuspid valve is on the right side of the heart, between the right atrium and the right ventricle. The normal tricuspid valve usually has three leaflets and three papillary muscles....
     disorders


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

Cardiac electrophysiology is the science of elucidating, diagnosing, and treating the electrical activities of the heart. The term is usually used to describe studies of such phenomena by invasive catheter recording of spontaneous activity as well as of cardiac responses to programmed electrical stimulation....
)

  • Tachycardia
    Tachycardia

    The word tachycardia comes from the Greek words tachys and kardia .Tachycardia typically refers to a heartrate that exceeds the range of the normal resting heartrate, based upon age:...
  • Cardiac arrhythmia
    Cardiac arrhythmia

    Cardiac arrhythmia is a term for any of a large and heterogeneous group of conditions in which there is abnormal Electrical conduction system of the heart in the heart....
    s
    • Supraventricular tachycardia
      Supraventricular tachycardia

      A supraventricular tachycardia is a tachycardia of the heart in which the origin of the electrical signal is either the atrium or the AV node....
       (Fast rhythms that originate above the ventricles)
      • Atrial fibrillation
        Atrial fibrillation

        Atrial fibrillation is a cardiac arrhythmia that involves the two upper chambers of the heart. It can often be identified by taking a pulse and observing that the heartbeats don't occur at regular intervals, but a conclusive indication of AF is the absence of P waves on an electrocardiogram ....
      • Atrial flutter
        Atrial flutter

        Atrial flutter is an cardiac arrhythmia that occurs in the atrium of the heart. When it first occurs, it is usually associated with a fast heart rate or tachycardia , and falls into the category of supraventricular tachycardia....
      • Atrial tachycardia
        Atrial tachycardia

        Atrial tachycardia is a type of supraventricular tachycardia characterized by a clear P wave before the QRS complex, indicating a lack of direct involvement of the AV node....
      • Sick sinus syndrome
        Sick sinus syndrome

        Sick sinus syndrome, also called sinus node dysfunction, is a group of abnormal heart rhythms presumably caused by a malfunction of the sinus node, the heart's primary pacemaker....
        • AV nodal reentrant tachycardia
          AV nodal reentrant tachycardia

          AV nodal reentrant tachycardia is a type of tachycardia of the heart. It is a type of supraventricular tachycardia , meaning that it originates from a location within the heart above the bundle of His....
           (AVNRT)
        • AV reentrant tachycardia (AVRT)
    • Bigeminy
    • Premature ventricular contraction
      Premature ventricular contraction

      A Premature Ventricular Contraction , also known as a ventricular premature beat or extrasystole, is a relatively common event where the heart rate is initiated by the heart ventricles rather than by the sinoatrial node, the normal heartbeat initiator....
    • Ventricular tachycardia
      Ventricular tachycardia

      Ventricular tachycardia is a tachycardia, or fast heart rhythm that originates in one of the left ventricle of the heart. This is a potentially life-threatening Cardiac arrhythmia because it may lead to ventricular fibrillation and sudden cardiac death....
      • Torsades de pointes
        Torsades de pointes

        Torsades de pointes, or simply torsades is a French language term that literally means "twisting of the points". It was first described by Dessertenne in 1966 and refers to a specific variety of ventricular tachycardia that exhibits distinct characteristics on the electrocardiogram ....
    • Ventricular fibrillation
      Ventricular fibrillation

      Ventricular fibrillation is a condition in which there is uncoordinated contraction of the cardiac muscle of the ventricle s in the heart, making them tremble rather than contract properly....
    • Bundle branch block
      Bundle branch block

      A bundle branch block refers to a defect of the heart's electrical conduction system of the heart....
      • Left bundle branch block
        Left bundle branch block

        Left bundle branch block is a cardiac conduction abnormality seen on the electrocardiogram . In this condition, activation of the left ventricle is delayed, which results in the left ventricle contracting later than the right ventricle....
      • Right bundle branch block
        Right bundle branch block

        A right bundle branch block is a defect in the heart's electrical conduction system. During a right bundle branch block, the right ventricle is not directly activated by impulses travelling through the right bundle branch....
    • Heart block
      Heart block

      A heart block is a disease in the electrical conduction system of the heart of the heart. This is opposed to coronary artery disease, which is disease of the blood vessels of the heart....
      • First degree AV block
      • Second degree AV block
      • Bifascicular block
        Bifascicular block

        Bifascicular block is a conduction abnormality in the heart where two of the three main fascicles of the Electrical conduction system of the heart are blocked....
      • Trifascicular block
      • Third degree AV block
        • Lev's disease
          Lev's disease

          Lev's disease is an acquired complete heart block due to idiopathic fibrosis and calcification of the electrical conduction system of the heart of the heart....
  • Specific diseases of the electrical system of the heart
    • Brugada syndrome
      Brugada syndrome

      The Brugada syndrome is a genetic disease that is characterised by abnormal electrocardiogram findings and an increased risk of sudden cardiac death....
    • Long QT syndrome
      Long QT syndrome

      The long QT syndrome is a rare congenital heart condition with delayed repolarization following depolarization of the heart, associated with fainting due to left ventricle cardiac arrhythmia, possibly of type torsade de pointes, which can deteriorate into ventricular fibrillation and ultimately Sudden cardiac death....
      • Andersen-Tawil syndrome
        Andersen-Tawil syndrome

        Andersen-Tawil syndrome. also called Andersen syndrome and Long QT syndrome 7 is a form of long QT syndrome. It is a rare genetic disorder, and is inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern....
      • Romano-Ward syndrome
        Romano-Ward syndrome

        Romano-Ward syndrome, is the major variant of long QT syndrome. It is a condition that causes a arrhythmia of the heart's normal rhythm. This disorder is a form of long QT syndrome, which is a heart condition that causes the cardiac muscle to take longer than usual to recharge between beats....
      • Jervell and Lange-Nielsen syndrome
        Jervell and Lange-Nielsen syndrome

        Jervell and Lange-Nielsen syndrome, a type of long QT syndrome, causes the cardiac muscle to take longer than usual to recharge between beats. If untreated, the irregular heartbeats, called arrhythmias, can lead to fainting, seizures, or sudden death....
    • Short QT syndrome
      Short QT syndrome

      Short QT syndrome is a genetics disease of the electrical system of the heart. It consists of a constellation of signs and symptoms, consisting of a short QT interval interval on EKG that doesn't significantly change with heart rate, tall and peaked T waves, and a structurally normal heart....
    • Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome
      Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome

      Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome is a syndrome of pre-excitation of the Ventricle of the heart due to an accessory pathway known as the bundle of Kent....
       (WPW syndrome)


Inflammation and infection of the heart

  • Endocarditis
    Endocarditis

    Endocarditis is an inflammation of the inner layer of the heart, the endocardium. It usually involves the heart valves . Other structures which may be involved include the interventricular septum, the chordae tendinae, the mural endocardium, or even on intracardiac devices....
    • Rheumatic heart disease
  • Myocarditis
    Myocarditis

    In medicine , myocarditis is inflammation of the myocardium , the muscular part of the heart. It is generally due to infection . It may cause chest pain, rapid signs of heart failure, or sudden death....
  • Pericarditis
    Pericarditis

    Pericarditis is an inflammation of the pericardium . Pericarditis is further classified according to the composition of the inflammatory exudate: serous, purulent, fibrinous, caseous, and hemorrhagic types are distinguished....


Congenital heart disease

  • Atrial septal defect
    Atrial septal defect

    Atrial septal defect is a form of congenital heart defect that enables blood flow between the left and right atria via the interatrial septum. The interatrial septum is the tissue that divides the right atrium and left atrium atria....
  • Ventricular septal defect
    Ventricular septal defect

    A ventricular septal defect is a defect in the ventricular septum, the wall dividing the left and right Ventricle of the heart.The ventricular septum consists of an inferior muscular and superior membranous portion and is extensively innervated with conducting cardiomyocytes....
  • Patent ductus arteriosus
    Patent ductus arteriosus

    Patent ductus arteriosus is a congenital heart defect wherein a child's ductus arteriosus fails to close after Childbirth. Symptoms are uncommon but in the first year of life include increased work of breathing and poor weight gain....
  • Bicuspid aortic valve
    Bicuspid aortic valve

    A bicuspid aortic valve is a defect of the aortic valve that results in the formation of two leaflets or cusps instead of the normal three. Normally only the mitral valve has two cusps ; situated between the left atrium and left ventricle....
  • Tetralogy of Fallot
    Tetralogy of Fallot

    Tetralogy of Fallot is a congenital heart defect which is classically understood to involve four anatomical abnormalities . It is the most common Cyanosis heart defect, representing 55-70%, and the most common cause of blue baby syndrome....
  • Transposition of the great vessels
    Transposition of the great vessels

    Transposition of the great vessels is a group of congenital congenital heart defect involving an abnormal spatial arrangement of any of the primary blood vessels: superior vena cava and/or inferior vena cava vena cavae , pulmonary artery, pulmonary veins, and aorta....
     (TGV)
  • Hypoplastic left heart syndrome
    Hypoplastic left heart syndrome

    Hypoplastic left heart syndrome , is a rare congenital heart defect in which the left side of the heart is severely underdeveloped....
  • Truncus Arteriosus
    Truncus arteriosus

    Truncus arteriosus may refer to:*Persistent truncus arteriosus, a rare congenital heart disease*Truncus arteriosus , part of an embryo's developing circulatory system...


Diseases of blood vessels (Vascular diseases)

  • Vasculitis
    Vasculitis

    Vasculitis refers to a heterogeneous group of disorders that are characterized by inflammatory destruction of blood vessels.Both arteries and veins are affected....
  • Atherosclerosis
    Atherosclerosis

    Atherosclerosis is a syndrome affecting artery blood vessels. It is a chronic inflammatory response in the walls of arteries, in large part due to the accumulation of macrophage white blood cells and promoted by low density lipoproteins without adequate removal of fats and cholesterol from the macrophages by functional high density lipoprot...
  • Aneurysm
    Aneurysm

    An aneurysm is a localized, blood-filled dilation of a blood vessel caused by disease or weakening of the vessel wall.Aneurysms most commonly occur in artery at the base of the brain and in the aorta ....
  • Varicose veins
    Varicose veins

    Varicose veins are veins that have become enlarged and twisted. Carl Arnold Ruge is credited with having first defined varicose veins as "any dilated, elongated and tortuous vein irrespective of size"....
  • Economy class syndrome
    Economy class syndrome

    Traveller's Thrombosis is the occurrence of deep vein thrombosis in travellers. The term Economy class syndrome has also been used to describe this....
  • Diseases of the aorta
    • Coarctation of the aorta
    • Aortic dissection
      Aortic dissection

      Aortic dissection is a tear in the wall of the aorta that causes blood to flow between the layers of the wall of the aorta and force the layers apart....
    • Aortic aneurysm
      Aortic aneurysm

      An aortic aneurysm is a general term for any swelling of the aorta, usually representing an underlying weakness in the wall of the aorta at that location....
  • Diseases of the carotid arteries
    • Carotid artery disease
    • Carotid artery dissection
      Carotid artery dissection

      Carotid artery dissection is a significant cause of stroke in young patients....


Procedures done for coronary artery disease

  • Percutaneous coronary intervention
    Percutaneous coronary intervention

    Percutaneous coronary intervention , commonly known as coronary angioplasty or simply angioplasty, is a therapeutic procedure to treat the stenosis coronary artery of the heart found in coronary heart disease....
    • Atherectomy
    • Angioplasty
      Angioplasty

      Angioplasty is the technique of mechanically widening a narrowed or obstructed blood vessel; typically as a result of atherosclerosis. Tightly folded balloons are passed into the narrowed locations and then inflated to a fixed size using water pressures some 75 to 500 times normal blood pressure ....
       (PTCA)
    • Stent
      Stent

      In medicine, a stent is a man-made 'tube' inserted into a natural passage/conduit in the body to prevent, or counteract, a disease-induced, localized flow constriction....
      ing
  • Coronary artery bypass surgery
    Coronary artery bypass surgery

    Coronary artery bypass surgery, also coronary artery bypass graft surgery, and colloquially heart bypass or bypass surgery is a surgery performed to relieve Angina pectoris and reduce the risk of death from Coronary heart disease....
     (CABG)
  • Enhanced external counterpulsation
    Enhanced external counterpulsation

    External counterpulsation is a procedure performed on individuals with ischemic cardiomyopathy in order to diminish the symptoms of their ischemia....
     (EECP)


Devices used in cardiology

  • Stethoscope
    Stethoscope

    The stethoscope is a acoustic medicine device for auscultation, or listening to eth internal sounds of an animal body. It is stom often used to listen to heart sounds....
  • Devices used to maintain normal electrical rhythm
    • Pacemaker
      Artificial pacemaker

      A pacemaker is a medical device which uses electrical impulses, delivered by electrodes contacting the heart muscles, to regulate the beating of the heart....
    • Defibrillator
      • Automated external defibrillator
        Automated external defibrillator

        File:ILCOR AED sign.jpgAn automated external defibrillator or AED is a portable electronic device that automatically diagnoses the potentially life threatening cardiac arrhythmias of ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia in a patient, and is able to treat them through defibrillation, the application of electrical ther...
      • Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator
        Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator

        An implantable cardioverter-defibrillator is a small battery -powered electrical impulse generator which is implanted in patients who are at risk of sudden cardiac death due to ventricular fibrillation....
  • Devices used to maintain blood pressure
    • Artificial heart
      Artificial heart

      File:CardioWest? temporary Total Artificial Heart.jpgFile:Artificial-heart-london.JPGAn artificial heart is a mechanical device that is implanted into the body to replace the biological heart....
    • Heart-lung machine
      Heart-lung machine

      Cardiopulmonary bypass is a technique that temporarily takes over the function of the heart and lungs during surgery, maintaining the circulation of blood and the oxygen content of the body....
    • Intra-aortic balloon pump
      Intra-aortic balloon pump

      The 'Intra-aortic balloon pump' is a mechanical device that is used to decrease myocardial oxygen demand while at the same time increasing cardiac output....
    • Ventricular assist device
      Ventricular assist device

      A Ventricular assist device, or VAD, is a machine that is used to partially or completely replace the function of a failing heart. Some VADs are intended for short term use, typically for patients recovering from myocardial infarction or cardiac surgery, while others are intended for long term use , typically for patients suffering fro...


Diagnostic tests and procedures
Cardiology diagnostic tests and procedures

The diagnostic tests in cardiology are methods of identifying heart conditions associated with healthy vs. unhealthy, pathology, heart function....
 

  • Blood tests
    Cardiology diagnostic tests and procedures

    The diagnostic tests in cardiology are methods of identifying heart conditions associated with healthy vs. unhealthy, pathology, heart function....
  • Echocardiogram
    Echocardiography

    An echocardiogram, often referred to in the medical community as a cardiac ECHO or simply an ECHO, is a sonography of the heart. Also known as a cardiac ultrasound, it uses standard ultrasound techniques to image two-dimensional slices of the heart....
  • Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance
    Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance

    Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance , sometimes known as cardiac MRI, is a medical imaging technology for the non-invasive assessment of the function and structure of the cardiovascular system....
  • Cardiac stress test
    Cardiac stress test

    A cardiac stress test is a medical test that indirectly reflects artery blood flow to the heart during physical exercise. When compared to blood flow during rest, the test reflects imbalances of blood flow to the heart's left ventricular muscle tissue ? the part of the heart that performs the greatest amount of work pumping blood....
  • Auscultation (Listening with the Stethoscope)
Electrocardiogram
Electrocardiogram

An electrocardiogram is a recording of the electricity activity of the heart over time produced by an electrocardiograph, usually in a Non-invasive recording via skin electrodes....
 (ECG or EKG)
    • QT interval
      QT interval

      In medicine, specifically cardiology, the QT interval is a measure of the time between the start of the Q wave and the end of the T wave in the heart's Electrical conduction system of the heart....
    • Osborn wave
      Osborn wave

      Osborn waves are a electrocardiogram finding.Osborn waves are positive deflections occurring at the junction between the QRS complex and the ST segment, where the S point, also known as the J joint, has a myocardial infarction-like elevation....
  • Ambulatory Holter monitor
    Holter monitor

    In medicine, a Holter monitor , named after its inventor, Dr. Norman Holter, is a portable device for continuously monitoring the electricity activity of the heart for 24 hours or more....
  • Electrophysiologic study
    Electrophysiologic study

    An electrophysiologic study is one of a number of tests of the electrical conduction system of the heart performed by a cardiac electrophysiology, a specialist in the electrical conduction system of the heart....
    • Programmed electrical stimulation
  • Sphygmomanometer
    Sphygmomanometer

    A sphygmomanometer or blood pressure meter is a device used to measure blood pressure, comprising an inflatable cuff to restrict blood flow, and a mercury or mechanical manometer to measure the pressure....
     (Blood pressure cuff)
  • Cardiac enzymes
  • Coronary catheterization
    Coronary catheterization

    A coronary catheterization is a minimally invasive procedure to access the coronary circulation and blood filled chambers of the heart using a catheter....
    • Myocardial Fractional Flow Reserve
      Fractional Flow Reserve

      Fractional flow reserve is a technique used in coronary catheterization to measure pressure differences across a coronary artery stenosis to determine the likelihood that the stenosis impedes oxygen delivery to the heart muscle ....
       (FFRmyo)
    • IVUS (IntraVascular UltraSound)


Cardiac pharmaceutical agents

The followings are medication
Medication

A pharmaceutical drug, also referred to as medicine or medicament, can be loosely defined as any substance intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease....
s commonly prescribed in cardiology:
  • Antiarrhythmic agents
    • Type I (sodium
      Sodium

      Sodium is an element which has the symbol Na , atomic number 11, atomic mass 23 amu , and a common oxidation number +1. Sodium is a soft, silvery white, highly reactive element and is a member of the alkali metals within "group 1" ....
       channel
      Ion channel

      Ion channels are pore-forming proteins that help establish and control the small voltage gradient across the plasma membrane of all living cell s by allowing the flow of ions down their electrochemical gradient....
       blockers)
      • Type Ia
        • Quinidine
          Quinidine

          Quinidine is a pharmaceutical Medication that acts as a class I antiarrhythmic agent in the heart. It is a stereoisomer of quinine, originally derived from the bark of the cinchona tree....
      • Type Ib
        • Lidocaine
          Lidocaine

          Lidocaine or lignocaine is a common local anesthetic and antiarrhythmic agent drug. Lidocaine is used topically to relieve itching, burning and pain from skin inflammations, injected as a dental anesthetic, and in minor surgery....
        • Phenytoin
          Phenytoin

          Phenytoin sodium is a commonly used antiepileptic. Phenytoin acts to dampen the unwanted, runaway brain activity seen in seizure by reducing electrical conductance among brain cells by stabilizing the inactive state of voltage gated sodium channels....
      • Type Ic
        • Propafenone
          Propafenone

          Propafenone is a class Ic antiarrhythmic agents, which treats illnesses associated with rapid heart beats such as atrium and ventricle cardiac arrhythmias....
    • Type II (beta blocker
      Beta blocker

      Beta blockers are a class of medication used for various indications, but particularly for the management of cardiac arrhythmias, cardioprotection after myocardial infarction , and hypertension....
      s)
      • Metoprolol
        Metoprolol

        Metoprolol is a selective beta blocker used in treatment of several diseases of thecardiovascular system, especially hypertension. It is marketed under the brand name Lopressor or Lopresor, respectively, by Novartis, and Toprol-XL ; Selokeen ; as Minax by Alphapharm , Metrol by Arrow Pharmaceuticals , as '...
    • Type III (potassium
      Potassium

      Potassium is a chemical element. It has the symbol K , atomic number 19, and atomic mass 39.0983. Potassium was first isolated from potash, hence the name....
       channel blockers)
      • Amiodarone
        Amiodarone

        Amiodarone is an antiarrhythmic agent used for various types of tachyarrhythmias , both ventricular and supraventricular arrhythmias. Discovered in 1961, it was not approved for use in the United States until 1985....
      • Dofetilide
        Dofetilide

        Dofetilide is a class III antiarrhythmic agents.It is marketed under the trade name Tikosyn by Pfizer, and is available in the United States in capsules containing 125, 250, and 500 microgram of dofetilide....
      • Sotalol
        Sotalol

        Sotalol is a medication used in individuals with rhythm disturbances of the heart, and to treat hypertension in some individuals....
    • Type IV (slow calcium channel blocker
      Calcium channel blocker

      Calcium channel blockers are a class of medication and natural substances which disrupt the conduction of calcium channels.It has effects on many excitable cells of the body, such as cardiac muscle, i.e....
      s)
      • Diltiazem
        Diltiazem

        Diltiazem is a member of the group of drugs known as benzothiazepines, which are a class of calcium channel blockers, used in the treatment of hypertension, angina pectoris, and some types of arrhythmia....
      • Verapamil
        Verapamil

        Verapamil is an L-type calcium channel blocker of the phenylalkylamine class. It has been used in the treatment of hypertension, angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, and most recently, cluster headaches....
    • Type V
      • Adenosine
        Adenosine

        Adenosine is a nucleoside composed of a molecule of adenine attached to a ribose sugar molecule moiety via a ?-N9-glycosidic bond....
      • Digoxin
        Digoxin

        Digoxin , also known as Digitalis, is a purified cardiac glycoside extracted from the foxglove plant, Digitalis lanata. Its corresponding aglycone is digoxigenin....
  • ACE inhibitor
    ACE inhibitor

    ACE inhibitors, or inhibitors of angiotensin-converting enzyme, are a group of pharmaceuticals that are used primarily in treatment of hypertension and congestive heart failure, in some cases as the drugs of first choice....
    s
    • Captopril
      Captopril

      Captopril is an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor used for the treatment of hypertension and some types of congestive heart failure. Captopril was the first ACE inhibitor developed and was considered a breakthrough both because of its novel mechanism of action and also because of the revolutionary development process....
    • Enalapril
    • Perindopril
      Perindopril

      Perindopril is a long-acting ACE inhibitor....
    • Ramipril
      Ramipril

      Ramipril is an ACE inhibitor, used to treat hypertension and congestive heart failure. ACE inhibitors lower the production of angiotensin II, therefore relaxing arterial muscles while at the same time enlarging the arteries, allowing the heart to pump blood more easily, and increasing blood flow due to more blood being pumped into and throug...
  • Angiotensin II receptor antagonist
    Angiotensin II receptor antagonist

    Angiotensin II receptor antagonists, also known as angiotensin receptor blockers , AT1-receptor antagonists or sartans, are a group of pharmaceuticals which modulate the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system....
    s
    • Candesartan
      Candesartan

      Candesartan is an angiotensin II receptor antagonist used mainly for the treatment of hypertension. The prodrug candesartan cilexetil is marketed by AstraZeneca and Takeda Pharmaceuticals, commonly under the trade names Blopress, Atacand, Amias, and Ratacand....
    • Eprosartan
      Eprosartan

      Eprosartan is an angiotensin II receptor antagonist used for the treatment of hypertension. It is marketed as Teveten by Abbott Laboratories in the United States and by Solvay elsewhere....
    • Irbesartan
      Irbesartan

      Irbesartan is an angiotensin II receptor antagonist used mainly for the treatment of hypertension. Irbesartan was developed by Sanofi Research ....
    • Losartan
      Losartan

      Losartan is an angiotensin II receptor antagonist drug used mainly to treat high blood pressure . Losartan was the first angiotensin II receptor antagonist to be marketed....
    • Telmisartan
      Telmisartan

      Telmisartan is an angiotensin II receptor antagonist used in the management of hypertension. It is marketed under the trade names Pritor or Kinzal , Micardis , Telma , Telday and Teleact D by ....
    • Valsartan
      Valsartan

      Valsartan is an angiotensin II receptor antagonist , acting on the angiotensin receptor subtype. In the U.S., valsartan is indicated for treatment of hypertension, of congestive heart failure , and post-myocardial infarction ....
  • Beta blocker
    Beta blocker

    Beta blockers are a class of medication used for various indications, but particularly for the management of cardiac arrhythmias, cardioprotection after myocardial infarction , and hypertension....
  • Calcium channel blocker
    Calcium channel blocker

    Calcium channel blockers are a class of medication and natural substances which disrupt the conduction of calcium channels.It has effects on many excitable cells of the body, such as cardiac muscle, i.e....


See also

  • Interventional cardiology
    Interventional cardiology

    Category:Cardiology...
  • Clinical cardiac electrophysiology
    Clinical cardiac electrophysiology

    Cardiac Electrophysiology , is a branch of the medical specialty of clinical cardiology and is concerned with the study and treatment of cardiac arrhythmia of the heart....
  • American Heart Association
    American Heart Association

    The American Heart Association is a non-profit organization in the United States that fosters appropriate Heart care in an effort to reduce disability and deaths caused by cardiovascular disease and stroke....
  • National Heart Foundation of Australia
    National Heart Foundation of Australia

    The National Heart Foundation of Australia or Heart Foundation is a non-profit organization with the stated mission "to improve the cardiac health of Australians"....


External links


  • U.S. National Institute of Health (NIH)
  • - information from the field of Cardiology.
  • - basic concepts in cardiology.