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 five people in the U.S. die from heart disease. What’s more, about half of us have one or more of the top three heart disease risk factors: high blood pressure, high low-density lipoprotein (LDL or “bad”) cholesterol, and a history of smoking.

Your primary healthcare provider (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 you might add a cardiologist to your healthcare team.