Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States. A bypass operation is one way doctors can help a patient with heart disease. During a bypass operation, a cardiologist (heart surgeon) attaches a piece of blood vessel from another part of the body around a blocked artery. This lets the blood ‘bypass’ the blocked artery. Another way of unclogging an artery is angioplasty. In this procedure, a doctor inserts a thin tube with a balloon on the end into a clogged blood vessel. The balloon is then inflated, enlarging the opening of the blood vessel so that blood can pass through more easily. A heart transplant may be necessary when a person’s heart is so damaged it can no longer function. A cardiologist removes the failing heart and replaces it with the heart of a person who has recently died. These are some of the ways doctors treat heart disease. 1 What is the CENTRAL IDEA of this paragraph? a. There are many ways doctors treat heart disease. b. Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States. c. A heart surgeon is called a cardiologist. d. Cardiologists are well respected for the work they do.