Specialty: Consultant Cardiologist, with subspecialist practice in structural heart disease and coronary artery disease
Conditions seen: coronary artery disease, angina, aortic stenosis, valve disease, structural heart disease including patent foramen ovale (PFO) and atrial septal defect (ASD), heart failure, heart rhythm problems, high blood pressure, chest pain, breathlessness
Tests, treatments and procedures: transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), PFO and ASD closure, echocardiogram, bubble echocardiogram, electrocardiogram (ECG), continuous ambulatory ECG monitoring, ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, exercise tolerance test, heart health screening, Inclisiran cholesterol treatment
Often consulted by patients with: chest pain, shortness of breath, high blood pressure, a known heart valve problem, or a stroke linked to a hole in the heart (PFO)
Patient ages seen: 18+
Also: director of structural heart disease and clinical lead for TAVI at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust; leads the West London Heart Attack Centre at Hammersmith Hospital; national proctor for PFO closure, paravalvular leak closure and TAVI; TopDoctors Gold Award recipient
Language: English
Dr Iqbal Malik is a Consultant Cardiologist at Welbeck’s Heart Health centre in London, with particular expertise in coronary artery disease and structural heart disease. He treats patients with angina, aortic stenosis and other heart valve conditions, as well as structural abnormalities such as patent foramen ovale (PFO) and atrial septal defect (ASD). He also provides general cardiology care for conditions including heart failure, heart rhythm problems and high blood pressure, and investigates symptoms such as chest pain and breathlessness.
Dr Malik has extensive experience in interventional cardiology, including transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) and PFO closure. His practice is supported by a comprehensive range of cardiac investigations, including echocardiography, bubble echocardiography, electrocardiogram (ECG) and exercise tolerance testing. He also uses continuous ambulatory ECG monitoring and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, which record heart rhythm or blood pressure over a longer period during normal daily activities and can help identify changes that may not be picked up during a single clinic assessment.
Dr Malik also offers heart health screening, providing a detailed assessment of cardiovascular health and helping to identify risk factors early so they can be addressed. For patients who need support managing high cholesterol, he offers Inclisiran, an injectable treatment used to lower LDL cholesterol.
Alongside his Welbeck practice, Dr Malik is director of structural heart disease and clinical lead for TAVI at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. He also leads the West London Heart Attack Centre at Hammersmith Hospital and is an honorary senior lecturer at Imperial College London.
Dr Malik is a nationally accredited proctor for PFO closure, paravalvular leak closure and TAVI, training and supporting other cardiologists in these specialist procedures. He also teaches undergraduate medical students, postgraduate doctors and fellow consultants.
Dr Malik regularly shares his cardiology expertise with patients and the wider public. For Welbeck Heart Health, he has written about how Inclisiran lowers cholesterol, SGLT-2 inhibitors in diabetes and heart failure, and the link between alcohol consumption and atrial fibrillation.
Dr Malik has provided expert commentary on the warning signs that can occur before a heart attack, including chest tightness and breathlessness. His advice has been featured by the Daily Express, Wales Online, Nottingham Post and Derby Telegraph.
Dr Malik is actively involved in research into coronary artery disease and structural heart disease and has participated in numerous clinical trials. He was a founding member of the International Centre for Circulatory Health (ICCH), a centre of research excellence at Imperial College London, and his wider research interests have included heart attack, stroke, diabetes, TAVI and left atrial appendage closure.
His current research focuses particularly on interventional cardiology, including the role of patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure in migraine and stroke, and approaches to preventing angina and heart attacks through coronary intervention and surgery. He is involved in BHF-PROTECT-TAVI, the largest TAVI trial conducted in the UK, which is investigating whether cerebral embolic protection can reduce the risk of stroke associated with TAVI. He also serves on steering committees for major international clinical trials and regularly presents his work at international meetings.
Alongside his research, Dr Malik leads the Imperial Cardiovascular Simulation Training (iCAST) programme, using immersive simulation to improve clinical practice and patient safety. He is also actively involved in medical education, training undergraduate medical students, postgraduate doctors and fellow consultants.
Royal College of Physicians
British Cardiac Society
British Cardiovascular Intervention Society
TopDoctors Gold Award
NHS clinical excellence award
Doctify 5 star rating
Appointments are available at 1 Welbeck Street, London W1G 0AR.
Enquire online or call 020 3653 2005.
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Inclisiran is a new cholesterol-lowering drug, the first of a class of treatments using RNA interference to boost the liver’s ability to remove harmful cholesterol. Dr Iqbal Malik takes a closer look at cholesterol and the efficacy of Inclisiran.
Welbeck present a series of webinars hosted by our Welbeck Consultants across various specialities.
Dr Malik says “alcohol is a potent driver for atrial fibrillation (AF) and cutting back reduces the risk of it coming back. This article in the NEJM provides more evidence for this”.
Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is a minimally invasive procedure used to replace an aortic valve that has become severely narrowed, known as aortic stenosis. Rather than open-heart surgery, a new valve is guided to the heart through a blood vessel using a thin tube called a catheter. TAVI may be considered for people with severe aortic stenosis who need their valve replaced, with the choice between TAVI and surgery based on factors including age, overall health, the anatomy of the heart and individual risks and benefits.
Dr Malik is clinical lead for TAVI at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and has considerable experience performing the procedure. He is also a nationally accredited proctor, training and supporting other cardiologists in the technique.
Yes. A patent foramen ovale (PFO) is a small opening between the upper chambers of the heart that can sometimes allow a blood clot to travel to the brain and contribute to a stroke.
Dr Malik offers PFO closure, a minimally invasive procedure in which a closure device is guided to the heart through a vein in the groin. He is also a nationally accredited proctor in this technique, training and supporting other cardiologists in best practice. If a PFO is found following a stroke, Dr Malik can assess whether closing it is likely to be appropriate.
Dr Malik offers a comprehensive range of cardiac investigations, including echocardiogram, bubble echocardiogram, electrocardiogram (ECG) and exercise tolerance testing. He also uses continuous ambulatory ECG monitoring and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, which track blood pressure or heart rhythm over a longer period during normal daily activities.
Heart health screening can help identify cardiovascular risk factors and early signs of heart disease, and may be particularly useful if you have a family history of heart disease or risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes. Dr Malik can advise which tests are appropriate based on your symptoms, medical history and individual risk.
Yes. Dr Malik treats high cholesterol and can design a tailored lipid management plan based on your individual cardiovascular risk, cholesterol levels and existing treatment. One option he offers is Inclisiran, a cholesterol-lowering injection given twice a year. It helps to lower levels of LDL cholesterol through a different mechanism from traditional statins and may be suitable for people who cannot tolerate statins or whose cholesterol remains high despite other treatment.
A bubble echocardiogram is a specialised ultrasound of the heart in which a small amount of agitated saline containing tiny bubbles is injected into a vein while images are taken. Dr Malik uses this test to detect a patent foramen ovale (PFO)or atrial septal defect (ASD) — conditions involving an opening in the wall between the upper chambers of the heart that can allow blood to pass from one side to the other.
A bubble echocardiogram may be considered after a stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA), particularly in younger patients where a cardiac cause is suspected. The results can help determine whether a closure procedure may be appropriate.