Cardiology

From high blood pressure and palpitations to heart attacks and heart failure, our cardiologists diagnose and treat conditions of the heart and blood vessels. Across our UAE hospitals, we combine diagnosis, catheter-based treatment and long-term care in one place, so your care continues well beyond a first appointment.

What is cardiology?

Cardiology is the medical care of the heart and blood vessels. Cardiologists diagnose and treat conditions such as coronary artery disease, heart failure and abnormal heart rhythms. They also manage the risk factors behind heart disease, including high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and much of their work is long-term monitoring and adjusting treatment as your needs change. Cardiology is non-surgical: operations such as heart bypass or valve replacement are done by cardiac or cardiothoracic surgeons.

Areas within cardiology

Cardiac imaging: Scans that show the heart's structure and blood flow, used to diagnose heart disease and guide treatment.

Electrophysiology: The heart's electrical system and the rhythm problems that arise when its signals misfire.

Interventional cardiology: Narrowed or blocked heart arteries, and some structural problems, are treated through thin tubes called catheters, without open surgery.

Paediatric cardiology: Heart care for babies, children and teenagers, including heart conditions that are present from birth.

Pulmonary hypertension: High blood pressure in the arteries that carry blood to the lungs, which puts strain on the right side of the heart.

When should you see a cardiologist?

Book an appointment if you notice:

• Chest pain or tightness
• Breathlessness during everyday activities
• Palpitations, or a racing or irregular heartbeat
• Dizziness or fainting
• Swollen ankles, feet or legs

Sudden chest pain that feels like pressure or tightness may be a heart attack. Seek emergency care straight away, especially if it spreads to your arm or jaw, or comes with sweating or breathlessness.

You may also want to see a cardiologist even if you don't have any symptoms, particularly if you have risk factors for heart disease. These include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes or a family history of heart disease. You can often book an appointment directly, although some insurance plans may require a referral from your family doctor first.

What to expect

At your first appointment, the cardiologist will ask about your symptoms, your medical history and your family history, and examine you. Most people have a few simple tests on the day. These often start with a heart tracing known as an ECG, which records your heart's rhythm, and may include a scan of your heart using sound waves, called an echocardiogram, along with blood tests.

What happens next depends on your diagnosis. Many heart conditions are managed with lifestyle changes and medicines. Others need a procedure, such as angioplasty and a stent to open a narrowed artery, a pacemaker for a slow heartbeat, or ablation to steady an irregular rhythm. After a serious heart problem, cardiac rehabilitation supports your recovery. Your cardiologist will talk through the options and agree the next step with you.

Cardiology at Mediclinic

We bring heart care together at our Heart and Vascular Centre in Dubai, with cardiology teams in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. Here cardiologists work alongside cardiothoracic and vascular surgeons, so medical and surgical heart care sit side by side. Our acute coronary syndrome programme, which treats heart attacks and blocked heart arteries, holds JCI certification.

In our catheterisation laboratories, including a hybrid laboratory, we treat blocked arteries with angioplasty and stents and carry out catheter-based valve procedures. Our electrophysiology service manages heart-rhythm problems, using ablation and implanted devices such as pacemakers. We also run specialised clinics for advanced heart failure and pulmonary hypertension, and paediatric cardiology cares for babies and children.