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❤️ Overview of Cardiology
Cardiology is the study of the heart and circulation. It is central to clinical medicine, as cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide.
For medical students, a strong foundation in anatomy, physiology, pathology, and clinical reasoning is essential before advancing to specialist practice.
🧩 Core Cardiac Anatomy
- The heart is a muscular pump with four chambers: right atrium, right ventricle, left atrium, left ventricle.
- Right heart: receives deoxygenated blood, pumps to lungs.
- Left heart: receives oxygenated blood, pumps to systemic circulation.
- Valves: tricuspid, pulmonary, mitral, aortic – ensure unidirectional flow.
- Coronary arteries: supply oxygen to the myocardium itself.
⚙️ Key Cardiac Physiology
- Electrical conduction system: SA node → AV node → His–Purkinje fibres.
- Cardiac cycle: systole (contraction) and diastole (relaxation).
- Stroke volume = preload × contractility – afterload.
- Cardiac output = stroke volume × heart rate.
- Autonomic regulation: sympathetic stimulation ↑ HR and contractility, parasympathetic (vagus) slows the heart.
🩺 Common Cardiac Conditions
- Ischaemic heart disease (IHD): angina, myocardial infarction.
- Heart failure: reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) vs. preserved EF (HFpEF).
- Arrhythmias: atrial fibrillation, supraventricular tachycardia, ventricular tachycardia.
- Valvular disease: aortic stenosis, mitral regurgitation.
- Congenital heart disease: septal defects, tetralogy of Fallot.
🔎 Essential Investigations
- ECG: cornerstone of arrhythmia and ischaemia diagnosis.
- Echocardiography: valve function, ejection fraction, chamber size.
- Blood tests: troponin, BNP, lipids, electrolytes.
- Chest X-ray: cardiac size, pulmonary oedema.
- Advanced imaging: cardiac MRI, CT coronary angiography.
💊 Principles of Management
- Lifestyle modification: smoking cessation, diet, exercise.
- Pharmacology: antihypertensives, antianginals, anticoagulants, statins, heart failure therapies.
- Interventions: PCI (angioplasty and stenting), CABG (bypass surgery).
- Devices: pacemakers, ICDs (implantable defibrillators), CRT (cardiac resynchronisation therapy).
- Prevention: primary (risk factor reduction) and secondary (post-MI care).
📚 Summary & Study Tips
For exams: know the anatomy of the heart, the cardiac cycle, and the major diseases with their investigations and management.
For clinical practice: focus on recognising red flags – chest pain, syncope, arrhythmias, and heart failure presentations.
Practical tip: always link symptoms to underlying pathophysiology – this deepens understanding and impresses examiners.
