Cardiology

Cardiology is the medical specialty concerned with the scientific study of the structure, functions, and diseases of the heart.

Medical conditions affecting the heart include disorders of the valves of the heart, disorders of the arteries within the heart, disorders affecting the heart muscle (which is a special type of muscle), conditions concerning the rhythm of the heart (i.e. arrhythmias).

Heart arrhythmias come in two general forms. They are the case of heart-beat being abnormally slow (bradycardia), and heartbeat being abnormally fast (tachycardia).

Cardiology is concerned with all of these cases and others. An important specialty within cardiology is paediatric cardiology, that is the study of heart conditions in children.

Associated Terms:

• A medical specialist in the field of cardiology is called an cardiologist.
• The adjective used to refer to cardiology is "cardiological".

Links to other relevant areas on this website include:

• Labelled Diagram of the Structure of the Heart
• Summary of the Functions of the Heart
• Structures & Functions of Blood Vessels
• Summary of the Blood Clotting Mechanism
• Glossary section: Components of the Heart
• Glossary section: General Medical Terms

This part of the IvyRose Holistic glossary is included as a study-aid for students following first-level courses in human biology, medicine, nursing, natural or holistic therapies, and associated theoretical courses. Such students are often required recognize and understand medical terms such as words used to refer to the many different disciplines within medicine.