The Stethoscopeless Cardiologist

A cardiologist in the carotids.

Carotid endarterectomy for stroke prevention has been the standard of care for 50 years in patients with extra-cranial carotid bifurcation disease. Over the past decade, carotid stenting has emerged as a viable alternative to surgery. Combined with filter embolic protection devices, both a randomized control trial (Stenting and Angioplasty with Protection in Patients at High Risk for Endarterec...

President’s Page: The Importance of the Cardiologist

Recreational drug misuse: issues for the cardiologist.

Alcohol and tobacco are the two legally available recreational drugs that are commonly misused in the United Kingdom, and their adverse eVects on cardiovascular function have been extensively documented. In addition, many illegal recreational drugs are freely available, and their use has reached epidemic proportions in British society. Almost one in four people have used illegal drugs at some t...

Working as a cardiologist in the USA.

There are several different reasons for cardiologists in training to spend a period of time in the United States of America in the context of work. This may be temporary in the case of a short sabbatical or travelling fellowship, where the recipient may travel to a centre with an particular area of expertise to study and learn a new or novel technique over a period of a few weeks. The period ma...

Computed tomography angiography for the interventional cardiologist.

In recent years, coronary CT angiography (CCTA) has become a widely adopted technique, not only due to its high diagnostic accuracy, but also to the fact that CCTA provides a comprehensive evaluation of the total (obstructive and non-obstructive) coronary atherosclerotic burden. More recently, this technique has become mature, with a large body of evidence addressing its prognostic validation. ...