Cardiology, or cardiovascular medicine, is the internal medicine specialty that deals with disorders of the heart and blood vessels. It involves the evaluation of cardiovascular symptoms, such as chest pain, shortness of breath, palpitations, dizziness, fainting spells or heart murmurs (abnormal heart sounds). Cardiologists are trained to evaluate and work up such complaints and diagnose the underlying cardiovascular disorder.
Most patients referred for cardiologist evaluation at NUHCS will be first seen in the general cardiology clinic. In this clinic, the cardiologist first evaluates the patient's symptoms by taking a detailed medical history and performing an examination of the cardiovascular (heart and blood vessel) system. Subsequently, patients will undergo specialized cardiovascular examinations to clinch the eventual diagnosis.
Common specialized cardiovascular investigations include:
After establishing the diagnosis, cardiologists will provide the necessary patient education and offer the appropriate intervention, for the patient's condition. Such interventions can range from lifestyle modification to medication prescription, as well as catheter-based invasive treatments. For more complicated cases requiring sub-specialised cardiology care, the patient might be referred to sub-specialty cardiology clinics, such as the arrhythmia clinic, congenital heart clinic, heart failure clinic, valvular heart disease clinic, women's heart clinic, amongst others.
Cardiologists at the National University Heart Centre (NUHCS) are trained to diagnose and treat all diseases involving the cardiovascular system. The conditions we treat range from managing cardiovascular risk factors for primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases, to tertiary-level treatment of advanced heart diseases.
Common cardiovascular conditions treated by NUHCS cardiologists include, but are not limited to
At NUHCS, we employ a multi-disciplinary approach for the management of chronic diseases. This is to ensure patients receive comprehensive, holistic care by various members of the healthcare team. We offer a whole range of treatment for the various cardiovascular conditions. They include
Lifestyle intervention
Medication use and titration
Invasive treatment
