title: A review on the Avicenna's contribution to the field of cardiology.
abstract: The cardiology and field of cardiovascular approaches are often mentioned as of the earliest concerns throughout the history of mankind civilization. During the golden ages of Islamic era, 9th to 12th centuries A.D., medical knowledge from various fields including cardiology was flourished by prominent Persian physicians and scholars. Among those outstanding physicians and scientists of the Islamic golden era, Avicenna is known as a famous and pioneer character. To outline the cardiovascular knowledge and contribution of Avicenna, current review compiled all his evidence-based concepts of cardiovascular findings from current medical literatures as well as those mentioned in his important medical encyclopedia, the Canon of Medicine. In this review, Avicenna's findings on cardiovascular anatomy such as his description of Willis circle, capillary circulation and arterial and ventricular contractions in the cardiovascular system have been mentioned. Also, his books and manuscripts on cardiology as well as findings and theories on cardiovascular and allied diseases were discussed. These findings are included in his descriptions on cardiac tamponade, stroke, palpitation, atherosclerosis, hypertension, association of the cardiovascular complications with erection and ejaculation, interaction between the heart and emotions as well as some of his mentioned drugs for cardiological disorders and the early concepts of drug targeting. These results can show Avicenna's great contribution to improve the sciences of cardiology in early medieval era.
authors.affiliation: Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center and Department of Phytopharmaceuticals (Traditional Pharmacy), School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran; Medicinal Plants Processing Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Zarshenas
authors.affiliation: Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center and Department of Phytopharmaceuticals (Traditional Pharmacy), School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran; Research Office for the History of Persian Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. Electronic address: zargarana@sums.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Arman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zargaran
mesh_terms: D002309:Cardiology / Q000266:history*; D005197:Famous Persons; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000266:history*; D049691:History, Medieval; D006801:Humans; D008514:Medicine, Arabic / Q000266:history*; D019071:Persia
keywords: Avicenna; Cardiology; History of Medicine; Persian Medicine