Cardiologists are specialists who are certified to diagnose, treat and prevent disease of the heart, arteries and veins. Cardiologists are certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) after meeting educational and practice requirements. Before being certified as cardiologists, those aspiring to the specialty must be certified in internal medicine. Then cardiologists can become certified in one of several cardiology subspecialties, including transplant cardiology, cardiovascular disease, clinical cardiac electrophysiology and interventional cardiology.
A common piece of medical equipment used to evaluate the circulatory system is the electrocardiogram. Also called an EKG or ECG, it measures how fast the heart is beating, whether the rhythm of the heartbeat is steady or irregular, and the strength and timing of electrical signals as they pass through each part of the heart.
Sphygmomanometers and stethoscopes are used to measure blood pressure and a pulse meter can monitor heart rate, rhythm and dropped beats.