Heart Symptoms and Conditions Assessed
Consultant-led assessment of heart symptoms and conditions
Heart symptoms can be worrying, particularly when they are new, persistent or difficult to explain. Dr Salam Salloum is a Consultant Cardiologist who assesses adults with possible heart-related symptoms, established cardiovascular conditions, abnormal test results and concerns that may benefit from a specialist opinion.
With more than 22 years of experience in UK medicine, Dr Salloum provides a careful, evidence-based assessment focused on understanding your symptoms, identifying relevant cardiovascular risks and deciding which investigations are genuinely useful. The aim is not simply to arrange tests, but to reach a clear diagnosis and give you a practical plan.
Face-to-face appointments are available in Peterborough and Corby. Video and telephone consultations are also available for suitable patients across the United Kingdom. Self-funding patients can usually book without a GP referral. If you are using private medical insurance, please check your insurer’s referral and authorisation requirements before arranging an appointment.
This page explains common heart symptoms and conditions assessed in the clinic. Symptoms can have cardiac or non-cardiac causes, and similar symptoms may arise from very different problems. An individual medical assessment is therefore important.
Seek emergency help: call 999 if you have severe or persistent chest pain, sudden marked breathlessness, collapse, symptoms of a stroke, or any symptom that feels immediately life-threatening. A private outpatient appointment is not a substitute for emergency care.
If your prescriber has asked for a heart check before or during ADHD treatment, see ECG for ADHD medication.
If you hold a driving licence and have a heart condition, see our guide to DVLA cardiac assessment.
Heart-related symptoms assessed
A cardiology review may be helpful when symptoms are recurrent, unexplained, worsening, associated with exertion or accompanied by cardiovascular risk factors. It can also help when an ECG, blood pressure reading or other investigation has raised a concern.
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Chest pain or chest discomfort
Chest pain may feel like pressure, tightness, heaviness, burning, sharp discomfort or an ache. Its cause may involve the heart, lungs, digestive system, muscles or ribs. The pattern, duration, triggers and associated symptoms all matter. A consultation can assess the likelihood of angina or another cardiac cause and determine whether an ECG, echocardiogram, stress test or coronary imaging should be considered. Read more about private assessment for chest pain.
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Palpitations and an irregular heartbeat
Palpitations may be described as racing, pounding, fluttering, pauses or skipped beats. They may last seconds or continue for much longer. Some are caused by harmless extra beats, while others reflect an arrhythmia such as atrial fibrillation or supraventricular tachycardia. Because intermittent rhythm problems may not appear during a brief clinic ECG, longer cardiac monitoring is sometimes appropriate. Learn about palpitations assessment and heart rhythm monitoring.
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Breathlessness
Shortness of breath can occur during exertion, at rest or when lying flat. It has many possible causes, including heart or lung disease, anaemia, reduced fitness and other medical conditions. A cardiovascular assessment considers how the symptom began, how it affects activity and whether it is accompanied by chest discomfort, ankle swelling or palpitations. Find out more about assessment for breathlessness.
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Dizziness, near-fainting or blackouts
Dizziness can mean light-headedness, imbalance or a sensation that the surroundings are spinning. Near-fainting and complete loss of consciousness require particular attention because possible causes include a fall in blood pressure or an abnormal heart rhythm. The circumstances before, during and after an episode help guide investigation. Read about cardiology assessment for dizziness and fainting.
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Reduced exercise tolerance and unexplained fatigue
A noticeable decline in stamina may be relevant when ordinary walking, stairs or usual exercise have become more difficult. Fatigue is common and is not always caused by heart disease, but assessment may be appropriate when it is persistent, associated with breathlessness or chest symptoms, or occurs in someone with known cardiovascular disease.
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Ankle swelling
Swelling of the feet or ankles has several possible causes, including problems with veins, medicines and prolonged sitting or standing. When it occurs with breathlessness, rapid weight gain or reduced exercise tolerance, a cardiovascular review may help determine whether the heart is contributing.
Heart conditions assessed and managed
Patients may attend with a new diagnosis, an established condition that needs review, or uncertainty about an earlier result. Management is individualised and may include explanation and reassurance, lifestyle measures, medication, further investigation or coordination with other specialists.
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High blood pressure
Hypertension is common and often causes no symptoms, yet sustained high blood pressure increases the long-term risk of stroke, heart disease and kidney disease. Review may include checking the accuracy and pattern of readings, assessing overall cardiovascular risk, looking for effects on the heart and adjusting treatment when appropriate. More information is available on private hypertension assessment and management.
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Atrial fibrillation and other rhythm disorders
Atrial fibrillation is an irregular rhythm that can cause palpitations, breathlessness, tiredness or no obvious symptoms. Assessment considers symptom control, heart rate or rhythm treatment and individual stroke risk. Other rhythm disorders include supraventricular tachycardia, extra beats and slower heart rhythms. Read about atrial fibrillation and supraventricular tachycardia (SVT).
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Angina and coronary artery disease
Angina is chest discomfort caused by reduced blood flow to the heart muscle, often during exertion. Symptoms and risk factors help determine whether further testing is needed and which investigation is most appropriate. Treatment may involve risk-factor control, medication and, in selected cases, referral for an invasive assessment. Learn more about angina symptoms, diagnosis and treatment.
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Heart failure and cardiomyopathy
Heart failure means that the heart is not pumping or filling as effectively as it should; it does not mean that the heart has stopped. Possible features include breathlessness, fluid retention and reduced exercise capacity. Cardiomyopathy describes disease of the heart muscle and has several forms and causes. Care may include imaging, medication, rhythm assessment and ongoing monitoring. Read about heart failure and dilated cardiomyopathy.
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Heart valve disease
The heart’s valves control the direction of blood flow. Narrowing or leakage may be mild and require observation, or it may cause breathlessness, chest discomfort, dizziness or reduced exercise tolerance. Echocardiography is central to assessing valve structure and severity. Explore heart valve disease, bicuspid aortic valve and mitral valve prolapse.
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Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS)
POTS is associated with an excessive rise in heart rate after standing and may cause palpitations, light-headedness, fatigue, exercise intolerance and brain fog. Diagnosis requires a careful history and appropriate measurements while excluding other explanations. Management is tailored to the individual’s symptoms and circumstances. Read more about POTS assessment and management.
What happens during a cardiology consultation?
Your consultation starts with a detailed discussion of your symptoms, medical history, medicines, family history and cardiovascular risk factors. If the appointment is face to face, a clinical examination can be performed. Please bring an up-to-date medication list and any relevant letters, ECGs, blood-test results or scan reports. These can reduce unnecessary repetition and help place a new finding in context.
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A clear, proportionate investigation plan
Not every patient needs every test. The most appropriate investigation depends on the question that needs answering. Following assessment, options may include:
- 12-lead ECG to assess the heart’s rhythm and electrical activity at that moment.
- Echocardiography to examine heart structure, pumping function and valves.
- Ambulatory heart monitoring to look for intermittent rhythm abnormalities over a longer period.
- Ambulatory blood-pressure monitoring to measure blood pressure during usual daily activity and sleep.
- Exercise or stress testing when symptoms or heart function need assessment under controlled exertion.
- CT or cardiac MRI when more detailed anatomical or tissue information is required.
When a test is advised, its purpose, possible limitations and how the result may change management will be explained. See the overview of private cardiac tests and investigations.
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After the assessment
You should leave with a clearer understanding of the likely causes being considered and the next steps. Depending on the findings, this may involve reassurance, monitoring, lifestyle measures, a medication review, further tests or referral for another specialist service. Relevant results can be discussed in context rather than treated as isolated numbers.
Where appropriate, a clinic letter can summarise the assessment and recommendations for your GP or another clinician. Ongoing follow-up can be arranged when a condition requires monitoring or treatment adjustment.
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Choose the most suitable consultation format
A face-to-face cardiology consultation is most appropriate when examination or same-visit testing may be helpful. A video consultation can suit discussion of symptoms, existing results, treatment options or a second opinion when physical examination is not immediately required. A telephone cardiology consultation may be suitable for focused advice or follow-up. If remote assessment identifies a need for examination or testing, a face-to-face appointment can be recommended.
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About this page
This information is educational and does not replace individual medical advice. It was written and medically reviewed by Dr Salam Salloum, Consultant Cardiologist (GMC number 5209498). It is intended to help patients understand the scope of private cardiology assessment and make an informed choice about seeking care.
