Podcasts – Deconstructed Cardiology

Adopted from UKY website Cardiac amyloidosis occurs when an abnormal protein — called amyloid — builds up in the heart tissue. This buildup makes it difficult for your heart to relax completely in between heart beats, making the heart stiff. This stops blood from getting into the heart. There is a “traffic-jam” of blood waiting to enter the heart all across the

I am joined by Kathleen Faulkenberg who is a pharmacist in discussing about marijuana. We dive deep into understanding the concept of marijuana use, the different agents and effects. We discuss the potential benefits and bad outcomes and the role of current classification of marijuana as a schedule I controlled substance in our understanding of this agent. All opinions expr

Figure 1: Coronavirus The first cases of the novel 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19) was reported in Wuhan, China in December 2019 1 and since has rapidly spread worldwide. In its essence, the virus is a non-living strand of protein called RNA enclosed in a fatty acid envelope. It appears spherical under an electron microscope and has certain particles on its surface which appear

Heart attack usually results from a sudden blockage in the arteries supplying the heart. There are three main blood vessels or arteries which supply the heart. Left anterior descending artery, called the ‘widow-maker’ is the largest and supplies the front of the heart. The other two arteries – left circumflex and the right coronary arteries, surround the heart in the mid

Salt in the diet can have some profound effect on the blood pressure. Read on to understand this in detail. Refer to the section on blood pressure to understand how blood pressure works and how it is measured. Briefly, blood pressure is represented as two numbers. The higher number represents the spike in blood pressure when the heart pumps blood into the arteries with each hea

As per the new ACC/AHA guidelines, blood pressure >130/80 is high blood pressure or hypertension. Emphasis is given to multiple readings obtained on multiple occasions rather than a single reading. This is because various factors can influence a single blood pressure reading including prior activity, smoking, caffeine intake, cuff size, stress etc. Refer to the section on b

Atrial fibrillation is an electrical abnormality in the heart. It affects the way the electrical wiring in the heart works. Normally, the electrical impulse for a heart-beat begins in the right upper chamber, at a specialized site called the sinus node. This is a very organized system of electrical wiring explained in the basic anatomy section. If everything goes as per the plan,

Atrial fibrillation is an electrical abnormality in the heart. It affects the way the electrical wiring in the heart works. Stroke results when a blood clot develops in the heart and travels to the brain. Atrial fibrillation is best described with an analogy of an Olympic sized boat with 40 rowers, listening to a single person in front who is setting the rhythm by shoutin

All opinions expressed here are those of the author and not of the employer. Information provided here is for medical education only. It is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice. Podcast audio: heart attack and a simple description of cardiac catheterization Refer to the basic blood supply description in the anatomy blog. In brief, there are three