What to Expect When Going to the Cardiologist

A cardiologist is a doctor who specializes in finding, treating, and preventing cardiovascular issues. Your primary doctor may refer you to a cardiologist if you’re at risk for cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular diseases are a group of disorders that affect the heart and blood vessels, and can include heart disease, heart failure, stroke, and arrhythmia.¹ You may already be seeing a cardiologist if you’ve had a heart attack or are experiencing symptoms of heart disease. If this is a first-time visit, it can be overwhelming and often stressful when thinking about seeing a new physician, especially when it’s regarding your heart health. But, going into your cardiology visit well prepared and knowing how to prepare for your appointment can help you feel more in control.

Learn More: How to Talk to Your Doctor About Heart Health

This complete guide is designed to help you prepare for your cardiology appointment and understand what to expect during your visit.

Prepare for Your Cardiology Appointment

Your appointment with your cardiologist is scheduled. Now what? There are a few things you can do before your appointment to ensure you get the most out of your visit:

• Make sure you’ve registered as a new patient in the cardiologist’s electronic portal, if requested to do so
• Get copies of your recent medical records and test results, including imaging, blood tests, or notes from previous physicians
• Make notes of your symptoms, when they occur, and what makes them better or worse
• Write out a list of your medications — include prescriptions, over-the-counter, vitamins, and supplements, what dose you take, and how often you take them
• Compile a list of both personal and family health history, including a family history of cardiovascular issues
• Make a list of any questions you want to ask your doctor, such as:
  • How does my family history affect my heart health?
  • What type of diet or lifestyle changes can I make to improve my symptoms/overall health status?
  • What are my treatment options for the heart symptoms I am having?
  • Are there any new treatments or changes to my current healthcare plan that you might recommend?
  • If a new medication is recommended:
    – Are there any side effects I should be aware of?
    – If I experience any of these symptoms, when should I call your office?
    – Will I notice any changes from treatment, and how quickly would you expect them to occur?
  • What should I do if my symptoms persist?²
• Brush up on heart health terms

What Happens During Your Cardiologist Visit?

On the day of your appointment, be sure to arrive early to complete the necessary paperwork. Don’t forget to bring the information you gathered prior to your appointment! The more your cardiologist understands upfront, the better. Once you meet with your cardiologist, don’t rely on your memory alone — bring a notebook along so you can jot down important notes about information your cardiologist may provide. Taking good notes before, during, and after the visit can also help you understand your progress over time.

Each appointment with your cardiologist has a different goal. Your first visit is a time for your cardiologist to get to know you and gain a better understanding of your heart health. Your doctor may:

Complete a Physical Exam

Your cardiologist will review your medical history, especially if this is your first visit, and may perform a medical exam that could include weighing you, checking your blood pressure and oxygen concentration (SpO2), and ordering various tests (see below)

Tests Your Cardiologist May Order

Depending on the reason for your visit with the cardiologist, your doctor may require a range of medical or diagnostic tests. The more high-quality diagnostic information your cardiologist has, the better they can help you. It may feel overwhelming, but the tests can be vital to your diagnosis. The tests will depend on your symptoms and their pattern. While you may have had some of these tests done already, the cardiologist may ask you to do them again to get more recent results. They may also ask you to repeat testing at a specific interval (like doing bloodwork every 3-6 months).

• Blood tests
• Urinalysis
• Stress test (on the treadmill)
• Non-stress test (sitting in a chair)
• Nuclear stress test or echo stress test
• Echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart)
• Electrocardiogram (electrical activity of the heart, a.k.a. ECG)
• Continuous heart monitor (a patch or wearable monitor, a.k.a., a Zio patch or halter monitor)
• CT, PET scan, or MRI scan
• Coronary angiogram³

When completing these tests, make sure to follow directions like when/what to eat, drink, wear, and what to bring to your testing appointment.

Recommend Treatments & Lifestyle Changes

Once your cardiologist has received all of your test and lab results, they will be able to create a treatment plan, which may include prescription medications; lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking, exercising more, and eating healthier; and/or referral to a cardiovascular surgeon or other specialist.

Additional visits may be useful for checking in on your progress, changing your treatments, and updating your treatment plan and goals.

Get the Most From Your Cardiologist Appointment

During your cardiology appointment, it may feel like you’ve been given a whirlwind of information. Before you leave, be sure that you have a full understanding of your diagnosis, prognosis, treatment options, and long-term health goals during each visit. Your cardiologist is a part of your health care team, and they’re there to help you. If you don’t understand something, ask them to repeat what they said, clarify in simpler terms, or give you more resources where you can learn more on your own. Don’t be embarrassed to ask the definition of a word or even have them spell it out for you. As always, the more you understand, the better.

Phrases To Streamline Your Communication With Your Doctor

Not sure how to ask your doctor to repeat or rephrase something? Worried that you don’t quite understand your doctor’s instructions? Heart.org provides helpful information for various circumstances you might experience at the cardiologist’s office:

When You Need More Information:

Ask the professional to explain. Sample questions for clarification include:

• “I’m not sure I get it. Could you explain it again in other or easier words?”
• “Can you make that clearer?”
• “Would you mind repeating the last thing you said?”
• “What does that term mean?”
• “Can you spell that word for me, please?”
• “Are there good websites or readings on this topic you can suggest so that I can understand my condition/treatment better?”

When You Want To Ensure You Understand:

Repeat the professional’s instructions using examples like:

• “It sounds like you’re saying that…”
• “Is it right that you’d like me to…”
• “Prior to my next appointment, I plan to…”
• “Should I give you a call if…”

When You Want To Review Your Results, Treatment Plans, or Other Instructions:

Review with your cardiologist what you heard to make sure you have all the information. You can use questions like:

• “To summarize, you mentioned these three points to me…”
• “We agreed that…”
• “You’re recommending a new medication for me because…”
• “You believe everything is going well for me except for…”
• “Could you please give me written instructions or information on this topic?”

Being prepared for your visit can help you feel more at ease and in control. Having a game plan, like understanding what a visit may look like or how to get the most out of your time with the specialist, can help you relax and be better able to process the information, details, and manage your follow-up expectations.