What is the difference between primary and secondary hypertension?

Primary hypertension develops over time without a single identifiable cause, while secondary hypertension is caused by an underlying condition or medication.

What is coronary angiography used for?

Coronary angiography uses contrast imaging to identify narrowing or blockages in the heart’s coronary arteries and guide treatment decisions.

What does TAVR treat, and how is it different from open-heart surgery?

TAVR treats severe aortic stenosis by placing a replacement valve through a catheter, avoiding the large chest incision used in traditional open-heart valve surgery.

Free online course Cadiology training

Duration of the online course: 8 hours and 18 minutes

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Build heart-health skills fast with this free online course—hypertension, heart failure, stents, valve therapies, and prevention tips, plus quizzes to test you.

In this free course, learn about

Hypertension basics, risks, complications, and key evaluation/management principles
Difference between primary (essential) and secondary hypertension
Heart failure overview: symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment options
Common misconceptions about heart failure and what it actually means
UNOS heart transplant listing changes and goals of the new status system
Peripheral artery disease (PAD): symptoms, screening, and treatment options
Major PAD risk factors (especially smoking and diabetes) and risk reduction
Shortness of breath in older adults: common cardiac/pulmonary causes and workup
HFpEF: major risk factors (notably long-standing hypertension) and management focus
Coronary angiography purpose: visualizing coronary blockages to guide treatment
Stents/PCI basics: when used, benefits, risks, and aftercare (e.g., antiplatelets)
Mitral regurgitation treatment with MitraClip and its surgical repair origins
Aortic stenosis causes and modern therapies including TAVR indications
Women’s heart disease: sex-specific risks, awareness history, and prevention tips

About the free online course

Strengthen your understanding of cardiovascular care with this free online cardiology training designed for anyone who wants clearer, more confident insight into common heart and vascular conditions. Whether you work in healthcare, are studying health sciences, or simply want to make sense of medical terms you hear in clinics and news reports, this course helps you connect the dots between symptoms, risk factors, diagnostics, and today’s treatment options.

You’ll explore how high blood pressure affects the body and why different forms of hypertension matter in real-world care. The course also demystifies heart failure, replacing myths with practical clarity around how it presents, what people often misunderstand, and why certain risk factors become especially important with age. Shortness of breath in older adults is addressed in a way that helps you think through possible cardiovascular causes and the questions clinicians consider when evaluating symptoms.

To give you a modern view of cardiac interventions, you’ll learn the purpose of coronary angiography and how stents and catheter-based procedures can restore blood flow. Valve disease is covered with an emphasis on evolving therapies, including approaches for mitral regurgitation and aortic stenosis, as well as transcatheter valve replacement as a less invasive option for appropriate patients. You’ll also gain perspective on advanced care pathways, such as how heart transplant listing frameworks aim to prioritize patients fairly and effectively.

The training takes a whole-person view by highlighting differences in how heart disease can appear across genders and why awareness and risk profiles are not identical. Prevention is treated as a core skill, with everyday actions that meaningfully reduce risk and support long-term cardiovascular health. Finally, you’ll be introduced to cardio-oncology, an increasingly important field focused on protecting heart health before, during, and after cancer treatment.

Throughout the course, short knowledge checks reinforce learning and help you verify what you’ve understood, making it easier to retain key concepts and apply them in professional discussions or personal health decisions.

Course content

Video class: High Blood Pressure: What You Should Know | Anjay Rastogi, MD, PhD 45m
Exercise: What are the two types of hypertension discussed in the presentation?
Video class: Heart Failure: What You Need to Know | Megan Kamath, MD | UCLAMDChat 27m
Exercise: What is a common misconception about heart failure?
Video class: Changes to the UNOS Heart Transplant Listing: What you need to know | UCLAMDChat 33m
Exercise: What is one purpose of the new status system for heart transplantation as discussed in the webinar?

Video class: Treatment Options for Peripheral Artery Disease | Gopi Manthripragada, MD | UCLAMDChat 19m
Exercise: What are the two main risk factors for Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD)?
Video class: Shortness of Breath in the Elderly | Boris Arbit, MD | UCLAMDChat 35m
Exercise: What is a major risk factor for developing heart failure with preserved ejection fraction?
Video class: Coronary Angiography and Stent Interventions | Ravi Dave, MD | UCLAMDChat 23m
Exercise: What is the primary purpose of a coronary angiography procedure?

Video class: Treating Mitral Regurgitation with MitraClip Therapy | Marcie Calfon Press, MD | UCLAMDChat 34m
Exercise: What procedure is the Mitral Clip based on?
Video class: Women and Heart Disease: What you need to know | UCLAMDChat 1h00m
Exercise: When did heart disease awareness for women begin to shift significantly?
Video class: Aortic Stenosis: Future is Now | Olcay Aksoy, MD, FACC | UCLAMDChat 46m
Exercise: What is a common cause of aortic stenosis?

Video class: Latest Treatments 33m
Exercise: What significant advancement in congenital heart defect treatment occurred in the 1950s?
Video class: Gender Matters: Heart Disease in Women | Marcella Calfon Press, MD | UCLAMDChat 20m
Exercise: What is a significant risk factor for heart disease in women that differs from men?
Video class: What Is Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement? | William Suh | UCLAMDChat 39m
Exercise: What is Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) primarily used to treat?

Video class: Love Your Heart. Everyday Tips to Keep Your Heart Healthy and Strong | Karol Watson, MD | UCLAMDChat 25m
Exercise: What is a simple activity that can significantly reduce the risk of heart disease?
Video class: Cardiovascular health after cancer treatment 53m
Exercise: What is the primary focus of cardio-oncology?

Learn aboutCardiology

Explore free online cardiology courses and build essential knowledge of heart health, cardiovascular diseases, diagnosis, treatment, ECG interpretation, and patient care. Learn at your own pace with accessible lessons for students, healthcare professionals, and lifelong learners, and earn a free certificate upon successful course completion.