Cardiology

A cardiologist is a healthcare provider who can treat chest pain, high blood pressure and heart failure, as well as problems with your heart valves, blood vessels and other heart and vascular issues. They can order tests like electrocardiograms, echocardiograms and CTs (computed tomography) to find out what’s wrong. With their diagnosis, they can order medicine, help you start healthier exercise and eating habits or do cardiac catheterization.

A cardiologist will do a physical exam and discuss your symptoms, medical history and family history with you. It’s important to let your cardiologist know if other people in your family have had heart problems because that can increase the chances of you having a heart problem.

Some basic information can give your cardiologist valuable information about your cardiovascular health, such as your:

• • Weight.
  • Blood pressure.
  • Cholesterol levels.
  • Blood glucose (sugar) levels.

Your provider will look at all of this information and any test results to figure out your risk factors for heart problems. They’ll also want to know if you smoke, how much you exercise, what you eat and which medicines you’re taking.