5 reasons to see a cardiologist

Heart disease is the number one killer of men and women in the United States. In fact, one out of four Americans die from heart disease and about half of us have one or more of the top three heart disease risk factors: high blood pressure, high LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and a history of smoking.

Your primary care physician (PCP) looks out for your overall health and can help you prevent heart disease. However, there are times your PCP may refer you to a cardiologist, a physician with expertise in diseases related to the heart and blood vessels, for help in diagnosing or treating heart conditions.

Here are a few of the reasons your doctor might recommend adding a cardiologist to your healthcare team.

Medically reviewed in July 2018.