Cardiologist

What the profession can do

• ✅Diagnose cardiac disease through clinical examination, electrocardiography, echocardiography, exercise testing, coronary angiography, and advanced imaging
• ✅Prescribe and adjust cardiovascular medications (beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, statins, anticoagulants, etc.)
• ✅Perform invasive interventions: coronary angioplasty, stent placement, radiofrequency ablation, pacemaker and defibrillator implantation
• ✅Manage acute cardiovascular emergencies (myocardial infarction, life-threatening arrhythmias, acute heart failure)
• ✅Provide long-term follow-up and disease management for chronic cardiovascular conditions
• ✅Assess and stratify cardiovascular risk in primary and secondary prevention

What it cannot treat

• ❌A cardiologist does not treat primary psychiatric or psychological conditions (anxiety, depression) that may accompany cardiac symptoms; collaboration with a psychologist or psychiatrist may be necessary
• ❌Interventional cardiology procedures (catheterization, angioplasty) require specialized equipment and hospital facilities; they are not performed in routine office consultations
• ❌The cardiologist does not replace the cardiac surgeon for major procedures (coronary artery bypass grafting, heart transplantation, complex valve surgery)
• ❌Genetic testing and genetic counseling for inherited cardiomyopathies and familial conditions typically require collaboration with a medical geneticist
• ❌A cardiologist does not directly manage renal or metabolic complications of cardiac disease; these fall under the purview of a nephrologist or endocrinologist
• ❌Structured cardiac rehabilitation involves a multidisciplinary team (physiotherapist, nurse, nutritionist) and is not solely the cardiologist's responsibility