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Keywords: Behavioral cardiology; Cardiac rehabilitation; Lifestyle medicine; Preventive cardiology.
Cardiology and lifestyle medicine
Poor lifestyle habits, such as physical inactivity and poor diets, are highly prevalent within society and even more so among patients with chronic disease. The need to stem poor lifestyle habits has led to the development of a new field of Lifestyle Medicine, whose mission is to prevent, treat, and even reverse chronic diseases through lifestyle interventions. Three fields within Cardiology relate to this mission: Cardiac Rehabilitation, Preventive Cardiology, and Behavioral Cardiology. Each of these three fields have contributed substantially to the reduction of cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. The historic contributions of these three cardiac fields are reviewed as well as the challenges each of these fields has faced in optimizing the application of lifestyle medicine practices. A shared agenda between Cardiology and the American College of Lifestyle Medicine could further the utilization of behavioral interventions. This review suggests seven steps that could be shared by these organizations and other medical societies. First, there is a need to develop and promulgate the assessment of lifestyle factors as “vital signs” during patient visits. Second, developing a strong partnership between the fields of Cardiology and Physiatry could improve important aspects of cardiac care, including a potential redesign of cardiac stress testing. Third, behavioral evaluations should be optimized at patients’ entrée points into medical care since these may be considered “windows of opportunity”. Fourth, there is a need to broaden cardiac rehabilitation into inexpensive programs and make this program eligible for patients with risk factors but no known CVD. Fifth, lifestyle medicine education should be integrated into the core competencies for relevant specialties. Sixth, there is a need for inter-societal advocacy to promote lifestyle medicine practices. Seventh, the well-being effects of healthy lifestyle behaviors, such as their impact on one’s sense of vitality, should be emphasized.
Keywords: Behavioral cardiology; Cardiac rehabilitation; Lifestyle medicine; Preventive cardiology.
Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Conflict of interest statement
Declaration of Competing Interest None.
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Cardiology Compensation/Lifestyle
Hello! I was wondering if someone could shed some light into how the lifestyle of a non invasive cardiologist is. I plan to have children and obviously I know with medicine a lot of time will be taken up with career, but I dont want to be able to have some family time as well.
Also I have been hearing mixed takes on compensation as a cardiologist, some say that salaries will be largely decreased, some say it wont change, while others say it will increase. So I just wanted to see if anyone knows what the job outlook/compensation looks like for the future. Thank you!
francisco84
MD2B
Lifestyle, especially as a non-invasive, is highly variable from practice to practice. While cardiology would never be mistaken for a lifestyle speciality, I have definitely heard of “part time” gigs working 3 days a week making 250k in a major metro suburb.
Hello! I was wondering if someone could shed some light into how the lifestyle of a non invasive cardiologist is. I plan to have children and obviously I know with medicine a lot of time will be taken up with career, but I dont want to be able to have some family time as well.
Also I have been hearing mixed takes on compensation as a cardiologist, some say that salaries will be largely decreased, some say it wont change, while others say it will increase. So I just wanted to see if anyone knows what the job outlook/compensation looks like for the future. Thank you!
Rocher
Hazelnut Goodness
Hello! I was wondering if someone could shed some light into how the lifestyle of a non invasive cardiologist is. I plan to have children and obviously I know with medicine a lot of time will be taken up with career, but I dont want to be able to have some family time as well.
Also I have been hearing mixed takes on compensation as a cardiologist, some say that salaries will be largely decreased, some say it wont change, while others say it will increase. So I just wanted to see if anyone knows what the job outlook/compensation looks like for the future. Thank you!
Lifestyle is variable as the above poster mentioned. No one knows where the income is going to go but I think the income will go down significantly over the next few years. There is increasing scrutiny of the costs related to cardiovascular imaging and procedures(and medical costs in general), and I suspect that cost containment measures will bring salaries down.
That being said, the money will probably be plenty for most people for many years to come, but I think the uncertainty is one of the reasons that choosing what you find to be interesting is so important. The money may even out in the end, and cardiology will probably always have a worse lifestyle than many fields.
loeffy
Full Member
For lifestyle, I’m assuming you’re mainly referring to call, and particularly nights/weekends. The amount you do depends on how many people you can split it with and/or how many hospitals/patients you cover. The latter condition also affects how busy your call days are, the more hospitals/patients you cover the busier you’ll likely be, but this can also be affected by hospital setup, in-hospital coverage (fellows, hospitalists, etc.). Additionally, the nature of cardiology, where you typically provide continuous high-risk care, makes things slightly more difficult. Being “off the clock” is a grey area and time off can be more difficult.
As for compensation, no one knows. There were cuts a few years ago and changes in reimbursement that has altered the field, cardiologist complained (understandably so) and maybe they aren’t making as much as before, but they still make good money. If there are drastic cuts, it’ll likely affect all specialties. This is why you go into cardiology, or any field, because you enjoy it. I’d do cardiology even if it paid as much as hospitalist. I believe doctors will continue to be in the upper end of salaries as a whole, however I think you’ll be much happier if you learn to keep expectations low and live below your means.
IMreshopeful
Full Member
Joined Jul 15, 2012 Messages 1,279 Reaction score 1,186Lifestyle is variable as discussed.
Most of recent grads doing gen cards post fellowship here (reasonable desirable location) all have starting salaries 350K+ with potential for higher. Compensation is fine – you work harder for it than maybe other specialties, but I love the field and enjoy it day in and day out.
QueenJames
Membership Revoked
Joined May 16, 2013 Messages 1,513 Reaction score 2,626Can confirm that cardiologists have gotten shafted SIGNIFICANTLY in the last 20-30 years.
One highly reputable old school private practive doc in my area I’ve shadowed have told me they used to make $3,000+ for left heart catheterization.
A new doc (well. he’s been practicing for 4 years now) that I have talked to and has signed with private practice are making anywhere from 900-$1000 for the same procedure.
Talk about being SHAFTED.
If that isn’t a sign of where things are heading. idk what to tell you.
