Cardiology is the treatment of diseases of the heart and blood vessels. A cardiologist is a physician who specializes in treating heart conditions such as abnormal heart rhythms, heart attacks, coronary artery disease, congenital heart defects, and disease of the heart valves. A cardiologist can inform your doctor about new drugs or tests that may be beneficial to you.

Some heart conditions can cause permanent damage to the heart muscle, and can be fatal. Methods that cardiologists use to study heart conditions include stress tests, a monitor to record your heart rate and rhythm, a biopsy, which studies a tiny piece of heart tissue, and an echocardiogram, which uses sound waves to show a picture of how your heart works.

Physicians in this specialty treat patients suffering from numerous diseases and illnesses, but some of the most common are Blood Clot, Peripheral Vascular Disease, angioplasty, Hypertension, Heart Attack, Congestive heart failure, Angina, Atherosclerosis, Cardiomyopathy, Coronary heart disease, Pericarditis, Ventricular Tachycardia, Acute Coronary Syndrome, Cardiac Arrest, Bigeminy, Heart block, Myxoma, Cardiac Arrhythmias, Tricuspid valve disorders, and Aortic valve disorders.

Once properly diagnosed, practitioners can perform numerous procedures on patients including Gastric Bypass Surgery, Open Heart Surgery, Valve Replacement, Valve Repair, Bypass Surgery, Carotid Artery Surgery, Catheter Ablation, Cardiac Surgery, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Cardiac Bypass Surgery, Cardiovascular Surgery, Laser Angioplasty, Valvuloplasty, Balloon Angioplasty, Atherectomy, Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery, Coronary Artery Bypass Graft, Coronary Angioplasty, Heart Transplantation, and Carotid Surgery.

To diagnose patients with possible illnesses and diseases, specialists will often perform one of many tests including Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG), Cardiac Stress Test, Holter Monitor, Echocardiogram, Blood Test, Sphygmomanometer, Cardiac Enzymes, IVUS, Electrophysiologic study, and Coronary Catheterization.

Doctor density varies by specialty and location. Minnesota has 574 practicing cardiologists. Broken out by city, cardiology doctor density in Albert Lea is 4, in Albuquerque is 1, in Alexandria is 12, in Apple Valley is 1, in Arden Hills is 1, in Austin is 9, in Barnesville is 7, in Bemidji is 5, in Bigfork is 1, in Bloomington is 4, in Brainerd is 10, in Breckenridge is 1, in Brooklyn Park is 1, in Buffalo is 7, in Burnsville is 25, in Cambridge is 1, in Cannon Falls is 3, in Chanhassen is 1, in Cloquet is 1, in Coon Rapids is 17, in Crosby is 21, in Deer River is 2, in Detroit Lakes is 5, in Duluth is 32, in East Grand Forks is 2, in Eden Prairie is 1, in Edina is 29, in Elk River is 3, in Ely is 1, in Fairmont is 1, in Farmington is 1, in Forest Lake is 4, in Fosston is 3, in Fridley is 16, in Grand Rapids is 2, in Hastings is 3, in Hibbing is 12, in Hopkins is 1, in Howard Lake is 2, in Hutchinson is 5, in International Falls is 2, in Lino Lakes is 1, in Mankato is 41, in Mantorville is 1, in Maple Grove is 8, in Maplewood is 42, in Minneapolis is 213, in Monticello is 1, in Morris is 3, in Morris is 3, in New Brighton is 1, in New Ulm is 3, in Northfield is 6, in Owatonna is 4, in Park Rapids is 3, in Plymouth is 25, in Princeton is 1, in Red Wing is 2, in Richfield is 1, in Robbinsdale is 17, in Rochester is 231, in Roseau is 1, in Saint Cloud is 18, in Saint Louis Park is 26, in Saint Paul is 83, in Sandstone is 1, in Sartell is 9, in Shakopee is 12, in Slayton is 1, in Spring Park is 2, in Stillwater is 1, in Sunfish Lake is 1, in Thief River Falls is 1, in Virginia is 7, in Wabasha is 5, in Waconia is 8, in Warroad is 1, in Waseca is 1, in Woodbury is 8, and in Wyoming is 19.

Minnesota has a population of 5,132,799, more than half of which is in the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, also called the Twin Cities. Though St. Paul is the capital of Minnesota, Minneapolis is its largest city. Minnesota is known as the “Land of 10,000 Lakes,” so summer water-based activities and winter ice fishing, skating, skiing and snowmobiling are popular in this state. The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is located at Minnesota’s northern boundary. When in the Twin Cities, be sure to visit the nearby Mall of America in Bloomington; the most-visited shopping mall in the world.

According to 2005 Census estimates, Minnesota has a population of 5,132,799. Of this population, 1,189,370 are under the age of 18 and 621,336 are at or above the age of 65.