Cardiology

Cardiology involves the care of patients with heart disease, involving all ages from prenatal diagnosis to end-of-life care. Much of the work of cardiologists is the management of patients with clinical manifestations of coronary heart disease and this includes clinical syndromes such as angina and heart attack. Management can involve interventional treatment, including opening up of occluded arteries, improving blood supply using percutaneous or surgical techniques, and the management of cardiac rhythm disorders and heart failure (including pacemaker implantation).

Subspecialties include cardiac imaging, heart failure, interventional cardiology and congenital heart disease and cardiac rehabilitation. Much has been achieved in improving acute outcomes both in survival and in quality of life following heart attack, heart failure, or heart rhythm disorders. More remains to be done in understanding disease processes and in preventing the development of cardiovascular disease.

Cardiology has a strong multiprofessional approach, involving close collaborations with cardiac and cardiothoracic surgeons, specialist nurses, and cardiac physiological measurement technicians. Prevention and early detection of heart disease are of critical importance and this involves working with other hospital specialties and primary care physicians.

Related RCP publications

Map of Medicine

The RCP has been working with Map of Medicine since 2008 to produce web-based knowledge support tools. There are 300 evidence-based clinical care maps covering all major areas of healthcare; including care maps for specific specialties.

Care map	Specialty	Date of expiry	External link to Map of Medicine
Cardiovascular disease risk management	Cardiology	31 October 2011	Access the CV disease risk management care map
Dyslipidaemia	Cardiology	27 January 2012	Access the dyslipidaemia care map
Infective endocarditis	Cardiology	27 April 2012	Access the infective endocarditis care map
Bradyarrhythmias	Cardiology	30 July 2012	Access the bradyarrhythmias care map
Hypertension	Cardiology	30 July 2012	Access the hypertension care map
Tachyarrhythmias	Cardiology	30 July 2012	Access the tachyarrhythmias care map
Atrial fibrillation	Cardiology	31 August 2012	Access the atrial fibrillation care map