Cardiology

Cardiology is the branch of internal medicine dealing with disorders of the heart and blood vessels. The field is commonly divided in the branches of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular heart disease and electrophysiology.

What is Cardiology?

The term cardiology is derived from the Greek words “cardia,” which refers to the heart and “logy” meaning “study of.” Cardiology is a branch of medicine that concerns diseases and disorders of the heart, which may range from congenital defects through to acquired heart diseases such as coronary artery disease and congestive heart failure.

Structure and Function of the Heart

Cardiac Pharmaceutical Agents

How the Heart Pumps Blood

Artificial Intelligence in Cardiology

Limiting Cardiovascular Risk Using Akkermansia

Hidden Signs of Heart Problems

Cardiology Procedures

Myocardial T1 and T2 Mapping

Cardiothoracic Surgery

Percutaneous Closure Procedure

Cardiothoracic Imaging Techniques

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Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS)

Heart Disease Biomarkers and Screening Tests

Latest Cardiology News and Research

Google search trends reflect a shift toward minimally invasive heart care

New research found that public interest in Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) increased substantially over the last decade, with Google search volume rising by 340% from 2015 to 2025, while searches for SAVR (Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement) declined by 42%.

23 Apr 2026

Drug-coated balloons reduce the need for permanent heart stents

A new sub-study suggests that using a sirolimus-eluting balloon (SEB), a drug-coated balloon, can reduce the number of stents a patient may need, making it a safe and effective way to treat certain heart attacks or unstable chest pain.

23 Apr 2026

Early heart pump use improves survival in patients experiencing cardiogenic shock

Findings from the Can Escalation Reduce Acute Myocardial Infarction Mortality in Cardiogenic Shock (CERAMICS) registry demonstrate that early use of a small heart pump improves outcomes in patients experiencing a severe form of heart failure called cardiogenic shock after suffering from a heart attack and undergoing a stenting procedure.

23 Apr 2026

Treatment goals guide cardiogenic shock care more often in women

New findings from the Northwell-Shock Registry show that while women with acute myocardial infarction-related cardiogenic shock (AMI-CS) are less likely to receive invasive treatments, clinical decisions are driven by objective markers of illness severity rather than sex.

23 Apr 2026

Tirzepatide significantly reduces cardiovascular risk in high-risk patients

Two new studies show that tirzepatide, a glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptor and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist (RA), significantly reduces cardiovascular risk in high-risk patients, including those undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and those with obesity undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

23 Apr 2026

USC and Tempus AI partner to advance precision medicine

The Keck School of Medicine of USC and Keck Medicine of USC have launched collaborations with Tempus AI, Inc., a technology company at the forefront of applying AI to precision medicine, to integrate clinical care, clinical trials and research through a unified framework.

23 Apr 2026

Minimally invasive PTAB shows promise for patients with complex peripheral arterial disease

New findings from a DETOUR2 substudy show that minimally invasive percutaneous transmural arterial bypass (PTAB) may offer a promising alternative to traditional leg bypass surgery for patients with complex peripheral arterial disease (PAD), even when distal vessel run off is severely limited.

23 Apr 2026

Transcatheter arterialization of the deep veins improves quality of life for no-option CLTI patients

Data from the PROMISE III trial suggest that chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) patients with no other treatment options experienced significant quality of life (QoL) improvements after undergoing transcatheter arterialization of the deep veins (TADV).

23 Apr 2026

Transcatheter valve replacement helps patients with limited heart care options

Findings from the AltaValve™ Early Feasibility Study suggest that patients with a leaky mitral valve have sustained clinical benefits one year following atrial fixation Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement (TMVR).

23 Apr 2026

Exercise may be safer for children with heart conditions

Physical activity in children and teenagers with cardiomyopathy (conditions that affect the heart muscle's structure and function, impairing its ability to pump or fill effectively), as well as children with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) may be safer than previous research suggested, according to a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association, published today in the Association's flagship peer-reviewed journal Circulation.

23 Apr 2026

Fitness in midlife extends health span and overall life expectancy

How fit you are in midlife may help determine not just how long you live, but how many of those years are spent in good health, according to a new study published today in the JACC, the flagship journal of the American College of Cardiology.

22 Apr 2026

Why heart risk is hard to predict in type 1 diabetes

A European study reveals cardiovascular risk patterns in type 1 diabetes, highlighting the need for tailored prevention strategies to catch complications early.

20 Apr 2026

Matching exercise timing to body clock chronotype improves heart health

Timing exercise to match body clock chronotype-the natural predisposition to morning or evening alertness-may lower cardiovascular disease risk among those who are already vulnerable, suggests research published in the open access journal Open Heart.

15 Apr 2026

Left bundle branch area pacing improves cardiac resynchronization outcomes

Left bundle branch area pacing was found to be an effective and practical strategy for cardiac resynchronization, according to a Late-Breaking Science presentation at EHRA 2026, the annual congress of the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA), a branch of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).

15 Apr 2026

Screening-detected atrial fibrillation linked to threefold heart failure risk

Heart failure is common in people who have atrial fibrillation detected during screening, according to a presentation today at EHRA 2026 the annual congress of the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA), a branch of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).

13 Apr 2026

New guidelines and follow-up standards improve pulmonary embolism outcomes

Pulmonary embolism, or PE, is a serious and sometimes life-threatening condition that occurs when a blood clot travels to the lungs and blocks blood flow.

8 Apr 2026

Early genetic signals connect diabetes subgroups to heart disease risk

A growing body of research shows that diabetes can be stratified into five different subgroups. Researchers at Lund University have now investigated whether a person's genetic predisposition to different diabetes subgroups can help assess the risk of developing coronary artery disease.

7 Apr 2026

Mount Sinai launches Adams Valve Institute for advanced heart care

The Mount Sinai Health System today announced the launch of the Adams Valve Institute, a new global center dedicated to advancing comprehensive care and surgical techniques for patients with heart valve disease.

7 Apr 2026

Evolocumab trial could reshape how doctors treat high-risk cholesterol patients

A new ACC/AHA dyslipidemia guideline and editorial argue that guideline development is rigorous but can lag behind fast-moving science, using the VESALIUS-CV trial as a clear example. The trial showed that intensive LDL cholesterol lowering with evolocumab reduced cardiovascular events in high-risk patients without prior heart attack or stroke, with implications for future guideline updates.

6 Apr 2026

Experts unveil new imaging standards for heart procedures

The global community of heart rhythm specialists will unite in Paris from 12 to 14 April 2026 for EHRA 2026, the annual congress of the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA), a branch of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).

1 Apr 2026