
Cardionerds: A Cardiology Podcast
Welcome to CardioNerds, where we bring you in-depth discussions with leading experts, case reports, and updates on the latest advancements in the world of cardiology. Tune in to expand your knowledge, sharpen your skills, and become a true CardioNerd!
Latest episodes

Apr 25, 2021 • 16min
120. The Braunwald Chronicles: Triple Threats, Randomized Controlled Trials, Textbooks & Digital Education
CardioNerds (Amit Goyal, Daniel Ambinder, Carine Hamo, and Karan Desai) are honored to bring to you the Braunwald Chronicles. These are stories of discovery, innovation, accidents, perseverance, and more…truly these are the stories of cardiology, directly from a father of modern cardiology himself, Dr. Eugene Braunwald. Dr. Braunwald’s life and stories together are the saga which have brought us to this day in modern cardiology. So please join us for this wonderful series, as we journey through the history of cardiology, across 6 extraordinary chapters. We complete The CardioNerds Braunwald Chronicles with Chapter 6 where Dr. Braunwald discusses triple threats, randomized controlled trials, textbooks & digital education. He reflects on the impact he has had through education through text books and how being an educator has been just as gratifying to him as being a scientist.
We thank Dr. Karan Desai, Editorial APD with the CardioNerds Academy, and fellow at University of Maryland, for all the work he put into designing the Braunwald Chronicles. Audio editing by Pace Wetstein.
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Apr 23, 2021 • 17min
119. The Braunwald Chronicles: Carotid Sinus Stimulation, Limitation of Infarct Size & The Open Artery Hypothesis
CardioNerds (Amit Goyal, Daniel Ambinder, Carine Hamo, and Karan Desai) are honored to bring to you the Braunwald Chronicles. These are stories of discovery, innovation, accidents, perseverance, and more…truly these are the stories of cardiology, directly from a father of modern cardiology himself, Dr. Eugene Braunwald. Dr. Braunwald’s life and stories together are the saga which have brought us to this day in modern cardiology. So please join us for this wonderful series, as we journey through the history of cardiology, across 6 extraordinary chapters. We continue with Chapter 5 where Dr. Braunwald discusses his discoveries related to carotid sinus stimulation, limitation of infarct size & the open artery hypothesis. The open artery hypothesis has revolutionized the way we take care of patients with myocardial infarction. We thank Dr. Karan Desai, Editorial APD with the CardioNerds Academy, and fellow at University of Maryland, for all the work he put into designing the Braunwald Chronicles. Audio editing by Pace Wetstein.
Dr. Braunwald's favorite paper: (Please note the very last paragraph)Kjekshus JK. Factors influencing infarct size following coronary artery occlusion. JOslo City Hosp. 1974;24(11-12):155-175.
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Apr 23, 2021 • 14min
118. The Braunwald Chronicles: A “Royal Screw-up” & The Discovery of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
CardioNerds (Amit Goyal, Daniel Ambinder, Carine Hamo, and Karan Desai) are honored to bring to you the Braunwald Chronicles. These are stories of discovery, innovation, accidents, perseverance, and more…truly these are the stories of cardiology, directly from a father of modern cardiology himself, Dr. Eugene Braunwald. Dr. Braunwald’s life and stories together are the saga which have brought us to this day in modern cardiology. So please join us for the Braunwald Chronicles, as we journey through the history of cardiology, across 6 extraordinary chapters.
We continue with Chapter 4 where Dr. Braunwald discusses his discoveries related to the A "Royal Screw-up" & The Discovery of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. There are hypertrophic cardiomyopathy centers of excellence sprinkled throughout the world. Comprehensive ACC/AHA guidelines for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy that came out in 2020, there's incredible drug discovery and randomized controlled trials looking at innovations in the management of HCM. We had a whole series on CardioNerds for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy where we taught about the four "Ps" or four preventions of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy management; prevent symptoms, prevent stroke in atrial fibrillation, prevent sudden cardiac death in the patient and prevent sudden cardiac death in the family. How fortunate are we to now hear all about how hypertrophic cardiomyopathy was discovered.
We thank Dr. Karan Desai, Editorial APD with the CardioNerds Academy, and fellow at University of Maryland, for all the work he put into designing the Braunwald Chronicles.Audio editing by Pace Wetstein.
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Apr 22, 2021 • 14min
117. The Braunwald Chronicles: Natural History of Aortic Stenosis, Beta-Blockers in Heart Failure & Seizing the Moment
CardioNerds (Amit Goyal, Daniel Ambinder, Carine Hamo, and Karan Desai) are honored to bring to you the Braunwald Chronicles. These are stories of discovery, innovation, accidents, perseverance, and more…truly these are the stories of cardiology, directly from a father of modern cardiology himself, Dr. Eugene Braunwald. Dr. Braunwald’s life and stories together are the saga which have brought us to this day in modern cardiology. So please join us for the Braunwald Chronicles, as we journey through the history of cardiology, across 6 extraordinary chapters.
We continue with Chapter 3 where Dr. Braunwald discusses his discoveries related to the natural history of aortic stenosis, beta-blockers in heart failure and times when seizing the moment led to important contributions to the world of cardiology. Dr. Braunwald also shares insights on mentorship as he speaks fondly of his relationship with the cardiac surgeon, Dr. Andrew "Glenn" Morrow. We thank Dr. Karan Desai, Editorial APD with the CardioNerds Academy, and fellow at University of Maryland, for all the work he put into designing the Braunwald Chronicles.
Audio editing by Pace Wetstein.
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Apr 20, 2021 • 18min
116. The Braunwald Chronicles: The Camelot Years, Myocardial Oxygen Consumption & The Transseptal Approach
CardioNerds (Amit Goyal, Daniel Ambinder, Carine Hamo, and Karan Desai) are honored to bring to you the Braunwald Chronicles. These are stories of discovery, innovation, accidents, perseverance, and more…truly these are the stories of cardiology, directly from a father of modern cardiology himself, Dr. Eugene Braunwald. Dr. Braunwald’s life and stories together are the saga which have brought us to this day in modern cardiology. So please join us for the Braunwald Chronicles, as we journey through the history of cardiology, across 6 extraordinary chapters.
We continue with Chapter 2 where Dr. Braunwald discusses his Camelot years, discoveries with regards to myocardial oxygen consumption & how the transseptal approach was developed. We hear about the incredible environment at the NIH during his early days, his delineation of the variables that result in myocardial oxygen demand and the discovery of the transseptal approach, which is so key to so many of our percutaneous interventions today.
We thank Dr. Karan Desai, Editorial APD with the CardioNerds Academy, and fellow at University of Maryland, for all the work he put into designing the Braunwald Chronicles. Audio editing by Pace Wetstein.
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Apr 19, 2021 • 30min
115. The Braunwald Chronicles: At The Right Place, At The Right Time & With The Right People
CardioNerds (Amit Goyal, Daniel Ambinder, Carine Hamo, and Karan Desai) are honored to bring to you the Braunwald Chronicles. These are stories of discovery, innovation, accidents, perseverance, and more…truly these are the stories of cardiology, directly from a father of modern cardiology himself, Dr. Eugene Braunwald. Dr. Braunwald’s life and stories together are the saga which have brought us to this day in modern cardiology. So please join us for the Braunwald Chronicles, as we journey through the history of cardiology, across 6 extraordinary chapters. We begin with Chapter 1: At The Right Place, At The Right Time & With The Right People. We learn about how serendipitous events in Dr. Braunwald’s early days, paired with his incredible grit & brilliance got him to the NIH where he quickly became the chief of cardiology at the of age 31, the precipice to an illustrious career ahead. We thank Dr. Karan Desai, Editorial APD with the CardioNerds Academy, and fellow at University of Maryland, for all the work he put into designing the Braunwald Chronicles. A very special thanks Dr. Randall Starling, advanced heart failure faculty at the Cleveland Clinic, former President of HFSA, and a dedicated mentor and support to CardioNerds for introducing us to Dr. Eugene Braunwald and for providing the following introduction. Audio editing by Pace Wetstein.
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Apr 16, 2021 • 50min
114. Cardio-Obstetrics: Pregnancy and Coronary Disease with Dr. Malissa Wood
CardioNerds Amit Goya and Daniel Ambinder, cardioobstetrics series co-chair Dr. Natalie Stokes, and episode lead Dr. Priya Kothapalli (University of Texas at Austin, Dell Medical School) discuss pregnancy and coronary artery disease with Dr. Malissa Wood, co-founder and co-director of the Corrigan Woman’s Heart Health center at Massachusetts General Hospital. They discuss the differential diagnosis of chest pain in the pregnant patient, the diagnostic approach and management of acute coronary syndromes in the patient population, and manifestations and management of SCAD in pregnancy. Episode introduction by Dr. Julie Power.
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Guest Profiles • Production Team
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Guest Profiles - Episode 114. Pregnancy Coronary Disease
Dr. Malissa Wood
Dr. Malissa Wood is a cardiologist at MGH, where she is one of the founders and co-director of the Corrigan Woman’s Heart Health center at MGH. She has authored two books “Smart at Heart” and “Thinfluence” and she’s made substantial contributions globally in promoting awareness of gender disparities in cardiovascular disease. She is the incoming chair elect for the ACC board of governors and current Governor of the Massachusetts ACC chapter, and is one of the leading experts in the world of Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection, or SCAD.
Dr. Priya Kothapalli
Dr. Priya Kothapalli is a second-year cardiology fellow at The University of Texas at Austin, Dell Medical School. Her clinical interests include endothelial dysfunction and vulnerable plaque. She looks forward to advanced training in interventional cardiology.
CardioNerds Cardioobstetrics Production Team
Natalie Stokes, MDSonia Shah, MDAmit Goyal, MDDaniel Ambinder, MD

Apr 12, 2021 • 43min
113. Cardio-Obstetrics: Pregnancy, Heart Failure, and Peripartum Cardiomyopathy with Dr. Julie Damp
CardioNerds (Amit Goyal and Daniel Ambinder), cardioobstetrics series co-chair Dr. Natalie Stokes, Northwestern University CardioNerds Ambassador Dr. Loie Farina, and episode lead fellow, Dr. Agnes Koczo (University of Pittsburgh) join Dr. Julie Damp of Vanderbilt University Associate Director of the VUMC Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship for a discussion about pregnancy, heart failure, and peripartum cardiomyopathy. Episode introduction by Dr. Luis Calderon. Audio editing by Pace Wetstein.
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Abstract • Pearls • Quotables • Notes • References • Guest Profiles • Production Team
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Episode Abstract
In this episode we discuss the presentation of peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM), tips for examining a late antepartum patient, and review management of pregnancy complicated by cardiogenic shock. Weaved throughout the case, we discuss important concepts including the role of prolactin in PPCM which factors into both treatment decisions like prescribing bromocriptine (what!) as well as counseling on breastfeeding. Be sure to tune in to hear Dr. Damp’s review of the latest evidence regarding the diagnosis and management of PPCM, as well as her personal experience counseling patients on heart failure therapies and ICD placement in the context of important factors like breastfeeding status, contraception and future pregnancies.
Pearls
1) PPCM most typically presents in the early postpartum period and is defined as an LVEF <45% (with or without LV dilatation and RV involvement) and no other explanation for the cardiomyopathy.
2) Patients with PPCM can present with classic heart failure symptoms, which may be challenging to distinguish from the typical symptoms and signs of pregnancy. To help differentiate pathology from normal physiology, consider the constellation of exam findings (e.g., isolated peripheral edema versus peripheral edema, +S3, elevated JVD and rales), the severity of the findings, and comparison of symptoms/findings to prior pregnancies.. There are no specific serum markers for PPCM yet.
3) Prolactin and a vascular etiology have been implicated in the pathogenesis of PPCM. There are ongoing trials to evaluate treatment with bromocriptine, which blocks prolactin (look out for upcoming the REBIRTH RCT examining this!). Importantly, there is no clear evidence that breastfeeding is prohibitive to myocardial recovery and should not be discouraged given benefits to both mom and baby.
4) Many of these patients recover, but those at highest risk are those with severely depressed LV systolic function, dilated LVs, RV involvement, and of African descent.
5) Goal directed medical therapy with beta-blockers in both ante- and postpartum period is a cornerstone of therapy. ACEi/ARB/MRA/ARNI are contraindicated in pregnancy but may be added postpartum and with breastfeeding.
Quotables
1. “It can be so challenging to distinguish symptoms (in a pregnant patient) from cardiac disease! One thing to keep in mind is severity – the more pronounced a finding or symptoms, the more concerning.” - Dr. Julie Damp
2. ”We often have more options than we think in medical management for heart failure through pregnancy and breastfeeding, but they do need some adjustments from our usual therapies.” -Dr. Julie Damp
3. “Start discussions about prognosis, monitoring, future pregnancies, and contraception early!” -Dr. Julie Damp
Show notes
1. How do you distinguish findings of normal pregnancy from signs and symptoms of heart failure?
Pregnant patients may normally have basal rales that typically clear with coughing, laterally shifted PMI, bounding PMI and pulse, JVD, S3, systolic murmur, edema/tense soft tissue,

Apr 5, 2021 • 55min
112. Narratives in Cardiology: Advocacy for Women’s Heart Health and Empowering Women in Cardiology with Dr. Gina Lundberg
CardioNerds (Amit Goyal and Daniel Ambinder) join Dr. Gina Lundberg (Associate Professor of Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine, Clinical Director of the Emory Women's Heart Center, and Chair Elect for the ACC WIC Section) and Dr. Zarina Sharalaya (interventional cardiology fellow at CCF, CardioNerds Narratives FIT Council Member) for a Narratives in Cardiology episode. Dr. Lundberg highlights the disparities that exists with representation of women in cardiology and cardiology subspecialties, and how to navigate the challenges that exist for women in cardiology. Dr. Lundberg takes us through her career journey and gives several pearls for fellows-in-training regarding achieving career goals, networking, mentorship, and the use of social media to further your career. Special message from Dr. Annabelle Volgman. Audio editing and episode introduction by Gurleen Kaur.
Quotables • Show notes • Guest profiles • About Narratives in Cardiology • Production team
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Quotables
“Improving the work environment for women is going to be really important for job retention and for encouraging more women to go into EP, interventional cardiology, and heart failure...”
“One of the words of wisdom I say to a lot of early career women is slow down. You don't have to drink the whole thing in your first 10 years. You can just slowly ease into it- there's a time and a place for everything, a season for everything.”
“So start building your network. Build your ‘otter raft’ and by otter, I mean that group of people, men or women who really support you and lift you up, who might recommend you for a position or a lecture that might share opportunities with you”
Show notes
What are some strategies to improve female representation in cardiology?
Practicing cardiologists, both men and women, need to mentor and sponsor trainees to attract more female into the field.Improving the work environment is key to retention of women in cardiology (allowing for more flexibility to meet needs such as child-care etc.).We need to build the pipleline to start recruiting females early on, even in high school.
2. What are some strategies to network as a fellow-in-training?
Start building your network early - attend ACC and AHA meetings. The ACC Legislative Conference is great because it’s a bit smaller and allows for more opportunities to meet leaders in the ACC.Share your story with other people (example your old high school or sorority/fraternity) as an opportunity to mentor and inspire others.Build your “otter raft”… that group of people who really support you and lift you up, who might recommend you for a position or a lecture that might share opportunities with you.
3. What is the role or value of social media for professional development?
Social medial democratizes the landscape, giving everyone a voice regardless of level of training, background, or beliefs.It is invaluable for connecting and networking, on a global scale.It empowers individuals to share – be it powerful stories, their thoughts, and of course education.We of course need to be responsible with protecting our patient’s privacy, be discerning consumers, and be professional in our interactions.
CardioNerds Narratives in Cardiology
The CardioNerds Narratives in Cardiology series features cardiovascular faculty representing diverse backgrounds, subspecialties, career stages, and career paths. Discussing why these faculty chose careers in cardiology and their passion for their work are essential components to inspiring interest in the field.
Each talk will feature a cardiology faculty from an underrepresented group, within at least one of several domains: gender, race,

Mar 31, 2021 • 1h 6min
111. Cardio-Obstetrics: Normal Pregnancy Physiology with Dr. Garima Sharma
CardioNerd Amit Goyal, cardioobstetrics series co-chair Dr. Natalie Stokes, and episode lead Dr. Daniela Crousillat discuss normal cardiovascular physiology in pregnancy with Dr. Garima Sharma, Director of the Cardio-Obstetrics Program and the Ciccarone Center ‘s Associate Director of Preventive Cardiology Education in the Division of Cardiology. They discuss physiology from conception to post-partum, including the key hemodynamic, hormonal, and structural changes associated with normal pregnancy in the absence of pre-existing cardiovascular disease. Series introduction by Dr. Sharonne N. Hayes.
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Abstract • Pearls • Quotables • Notes • References • Guest Profiles • Production Team
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Episode Abstract
Join us for a thrilling ride with our expert as we dive into the normal cardiovascular physiology of women through pregnancy. We discuss physiology from conception to post-partum, including the key hemodynamic, hormonal, and structural changes associated with normal pregnancy in the absence of pre-existing cardiovascular disease. We discuss how these physiologic changes manifest the history, physical exam, and key diagnostic testing (ECG, laboratory markers, and echocardiogram). Armed with these basic principles, we join Dr. Garima Sharma on patient consults to learn about potential signs and symptoms of cardiovascular disease in pregnancy and appropriate ways to risk stratify women with pre-existing or acquired cardiovascular disease in pregnancy. Importantly, we delve deeper into the importance of the growing field of cardio-obstetrics in the context of rising maternal mortality and staggering racial disparities in the care and outcomes of women in pregnancy.
Pearls
In normal pregnancy, plasma volume increases by up to 50% resulting in an adaptive decrease in systemic vascular resistance (SVR) by 25% and an increase in cardiac output (CO) by ~50% by the 2nd trimester.Brisk carotid upstrokes, an S3 gallop, soft systolic ejection murmurs, pedal edema, and a mildly elevated jugular venous pressure (JVP) can all be normal physiologic findings in pregnancy in the context of no other signs/symptoms to suggest heart failure.A normal NT-proBNP among pregnant patients with pre-existing cardiovascular disease has a high negative predictive value for predicting adverse maternal cardiac outcomes.Pregnancy risk predictor tools (mWHO, CARPREG II, ZAHARA) are a crucial component of pre-conception counseling to help predict which women with existing cardiovascular disease are at highest risk for adverse maternal outcomes.The U.S. ranks 1st in the world for maternal mortality among developed nations and cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of pregnancy-associated mortality in the U.S. Non-Hispanic Black are 3.5 times more likely to die from pregnancy as compared to White women.
Quotables
“You don’t know where you are going until you know where you have been” - Dr. Garima Sharma on the importance of holding on to hope when encountering difficult situations in our training and career pathways.
“Do not fear the pregnant patient! The pregnant patient is going through a normal physiologic process in her life, and the more we are familiar with it, the less we fear it” - Dr. Garima Sharma on taking care of pregnant patients.
“If you are going to move the needle on maternal mortality and in making a long-term sustainable change in the lives of these women, you have to focus on prevention” - Dr. Garima Sharma on the importance of prevention in reducing maternal mortality.
“Be empathetic. For most women, pregnancy is a normal state. These women need your help!” - Dr. Garima Sharma on the importance of taking care of women in ...