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MRCPI Part 1 → Cardiology

Cardiology for MRCPI Part 1

Cardiology accounts for roughly 10% of the MRCPI Part 1 blueprint. This bank has 1 item tagged to it.

How much of MRCPI Part 1 is cardiology?

Around 10% of the paper, per RCPI examination regulations and training curricula. That weighting is why the DocPasser mock builder samples sections in proportion rather than shuffling everything into one pile — practising a flat distribution trains you for a paper that does not exist.

Verification status. All 3 published figures on this page have been read in the source document and dated above. Source of truth: RCPI examination regulations and training curricula, Royal College of Physicians of Ireland. How we verify.

Sample cardiology questions

A 62-year-old man has an ejection fraction of 30% on echocardiography following a myocardial infarction six months ago. He is on ramipril, bisoprolol and a statin, and remains NYHA class II. Which addition gives the greatest mortality benefit?

  1. A loop diuretic Essential for congestion and symptom control, but it changes how a patient feels rather than how long they live.
  2. A mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist correct Correct. With persisting symptoms on an ACE inhibitor and beta blocker, adding an MRA such as eplerenone or spironolactone gives a further mortality reduction. Monitor potassium and renal function after starting.
  3. Amlodipine Neutral at best in HFrEF, and the non-dihydropyridines are actively harmful because of their negative inotropy.
  4. Digoxin Reduces hospitalisation in selected patients but has never demonstrated a mortality benefit in sinus rhythm.
  5. Ivabradine Has a role, but later and narrower: heart rate 75 or above in sinus rhythm despite maximally tolerated beta blockade, with benefit on hospitalisation and cardiovascular death rather than the broad mortality effect of an MRA at this stage.

The point: HFrEF prognostic therapy: ACE inhibitor or ARNI, beta blocker, MRA, SGLT2 inhibitor. Diuretics treat symptoms. Know which drugs change the curve and which change the day.

Source: ESC guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic heart failure European Society of Cardiology · tier 2, specialty society or college

The other sections of MRCPI Part 1

Respiratory medicine · Gastroenterology and hepatology · Neurology · Endocrinology and metabolic medicine · Nephrology · Rheumatology · Haematology · Infectious diseases and tropical medicine · Oncology and palliative care · Dermatology · Clinical pharmacology and therapeutics · Clinical sciences and statistics · Acute and critical care medicine

Back to MRCPI Part 1

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