GC: n
S: NCBI – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK2204/ (last access: 22 March 2025); SDir – https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/cardiology (last access: 22 March 2025).
N: 1. “the study of the heart,” 1847, from “cardio-” + “-logy”. Cardiologist attested from 1885.
2. cardiology, medical specialty dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and abnormalities involving the heart and blood vessels. Cardiology is a medical, not surgical, discipline. Cardiologists provide the continuing care of patients with cardiovascular disease, performing basic studies of heart function and supervising all aspects of therapy, including the administration of drugs to modify heart functions.
- The foundation of the field of cardiology was laid in 1628, when English physician William Harvey published his observations on the anatomy and physiology of the heart and circulation. From that period, knowledge grew steadily as physicians relied on scientific observation, rejecting the prejudices and superstitions of previous eras, and conducted fastidious and keen studies of the physiology, anatomy, and pathology of the heart and blood vessels. During the 18th and 19th centuries physicians acquired a deeper understanding of the vagaries of pulse and blood pressure, of heart sounds and heart murmurs (through the practice of auscultation, aided by the invention of the stethoscope by French physician René Laënnec), of respiration and exchange of blood gases in the lungs, of heart muscle structure and function, of congenital heart defects, of electrical activity in the heart muscle, and of irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmias). Dozens of clinical observations conducted in those centuries live on today in the vernacular of cardiology—for example, Adams-Stokes syndrome, a type of heart block named for Irish physicians Robert Adams and William Stokes; Austin Flint murmur, named for the American physician who discovered the disorder; and tetralogy of Fallot, a combination of congenital heart defects named for French physician Étienne-Louis-Arthur Fallot.
3. 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.
Physicians who specialize in cardiology are called cardiologists and they are responsible for the medical management of various heart diseases. Cardiac surgeons are the specialist physicians who perform surgical procedures to correct heart disorders.
4. Cardiology milestones
Some of the major milestones in the discipline of cardiology are listed below:
1628 The circulation of blood was described by an English Physician William Harvey.
1706 A French anatomy professor, Raymond de Vieussens, described the structure of the heart’s chambers and vessels.
1733 Blood pressure was first measured by an English clergyman and scientist called Stephen Hales.
1816 A French physician, Rene Laennec, invented the stethoscope.
1903 A Dutch physiologist Willem Einthoven, developed the electrocardiograph or ECG, a vital instrument used to measure the electrical activity of the heart and diagnose heart abnormalities.
1912 An American physician, James Herric, described atherosclerosis – one of the most common diseases of the heart.
1938 Robert Gross, an American surgeon, performed the first heart surgery
1951 The first artificial heart valve was developed by Charles Hufnagel.
1952 An American surgeon called Floyd John Lewis performed the first open heart surgery
1967 Christian Barnard, a South African surgeon, performed the first whole heart transplant
1982 An American surgeon called Willem DeVries implanted a permanent artificial heart designed by Robert Jarvik, into a patient.
S: 1. Etymonline – https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=cardiology (last access: 22 March 2025). 2. EncBrit – https://www.britannica.com/science/cardiology (last access: 22 March 2025). 3 & 4. NMLS – https://www.news-medical.net/health/Cardiology-What-is-Cardiology.aspx (last access: 22 March 2025).
SYN:
S:
CR: bradycardia, cardiac catheterization, catheter, heart disease, Holter monitor, moyamoya disease, stent, tachycardia.
