Beatwise The Podcast

In this episode of Beatwise The Podcast, I speak with Dr Brian Halliday about one of the biggest advances in the treatment of obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM): cardiac myosin inhibitors. For decades, treatment has focused on managing symptoms with medications such as beta blockers, verapamil and disopyramide, alongside septal reduction therapies for selected patients. We explore how c...

Heart failure, chronic kidney disease (CKD) and metabolic disease are deeply interconnected, yet healthcare systems have traditionally treated them as separate conditions. In this episode of Beatwise, I’m joined by Dr Andrew Frankel, Consultant Nephrologist at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, to explore why cardiorenal metabolic (CRM) medicine is transforming how we care for patients. We dis...

In this episode of BeatWise The Podcast, I am joined by Professor Joseph Selvanayagam to explore cardiac metabolism in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), the evolving treatment landscape in HCM, and the findings of the RESOLVE-HCM trial investigating perhexiline in non-obstructive disease. We explore the heterogeneity of HCM, including the differences between obstructive and non-obstructive forms...

In this episode of Beatwise The Podcast, I speak with Dr Archana Ganapathy about a problem we don’t talk about enough in heart failure: congestion that we can’t properly see. Many patients leave hospital still fluid overloaded at a tissue level - despite looking “better” clinically. And that gap is part of why readmissions and outcomes remain poor. We discuss why current tools - from clinical exam...

In this episode of Beatwise The Podcast, I speak with Helen Kilminster - Senior Pharmacist ACP and Deputy PCN Clinical Director -  about a part of heart failure care that is often overlooked: coding. We explore a part of heart failure care that is often overlooked: coding. Not as an administrative task - but as something that directly shapes patient outcomes. Because if heart failure isn’t co...

In this episode of Beatwise The Podcast, I speak with Paul Pozzo, a leading patient advocate and former chair of Amyloidosis UK. Paul shares his experience living with wild-type amyloidosis, from the challenges of delayed diagnosis to becoming a powerful voice for patients in research and healthcare advocacy. Diagnosed in 2015 at a time when no disease-modifying drugs were available, Paul was init...

In this episode of Beatwise The Podcast, I, Dr. Sarah Birkhoelzer, explore the uncomfortable but essential topic of sexism, sexual harassment, and sexual assault in healthcare. I am joined by Dr. Becky Cox and Dr. Chelcie Jewitt, founders of Surviving in Scrubs, a movement created to expose and address sexual misconduct within medical training and clinical environments. Together, we discuss the re...

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the most common heart rhythm conditions, yet it’s often misunderstood and overwhelming for patients when they first hear the diagnosis. In this episode of Beatwise the Podcast, I’m joined by Dr. Maria Steuden, consultant electrophysiologist, to break down what atrial fibrillation really means, how it’s treated, and what patients can expect at each stage of their...

In this episode of Beatwise The Podcast, I, Dr. Sarah Birkhoelzer, am joined by Prof. Vass Vassiliou, cardiologist and lead author of the European Society of Cardiology’s Consensus Statement on Cardiovascular Disease in COVID-19. Together, we unpack what we now know about the cardiac consequences of COVID-19 and why the heart deserves as much attention as the lungs when it comes to long COVID. We...

In this episode of Beatwise the Podcast, I’m joined by Carys Barton, consultant nurse and chair-elect of the British Society for Heart Failure, to unpack the updated NICE guidelines on heart failure. With nearly a million people in the UK living with heart failure, this guidance marks a major step forward - not just for specialists, but for GPs, nurses, pharmacists, and allied healthcare professio...

In this episode of Beatwise The Podcast , I sit down with Dr. Carol Whelan, consultant cardiologist at the Royal Free Hospital and chair-elect of the British Society for Heart Failure, to delve into one of the most under-recognised yet critical aspects of heart failure management: cardiac amyloidosis. We discuss why early detection of amyloidosis is absolutely vital, how to spot red flags, and wha...

In this episode of Beatwise The Podcast, I sit down with leading cardiologist and clinical researcher Dr. Louise Segan to explore a groundbreaking question: Can patients with heart failure actually recover heart function through targeted treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF)? We dive into the fascinating findings of the Withdraw HF study, which investigates heart failure patients with atrial fibri...

What happens when a rare condition silently disrupts a life - and no one can figure out what’s wrong? In this powerful episode of Beatwise The Podcast , I sit down with Sam Jarrett, a courageous woman navigating the complex world of amyloidosis - a rare and often misdiagnosed disease that affects the body’s organs and tissues. Together, we explore Sam’s personal and emotional path to diagnosis aft...

In this episode of Beatwise the Podcast , I’m joined by Dr. Edgar Argulian, a cardiologist from Mount Sinai Morningside in New York and senior author of a compelling new study published in European Heart Journal – Imaging Methods and Practice . We dive into a fascinating and often overlooked issue in cardiology: what happens when patients present with chest pain and abnormal stress echocardiograms...

What if the real root cause of cardiovascular disease isn't just lifestyle, but poverty? In this powerful episode of Beatwise the Podcast, I sit down with Helen Rowe, author of Eliminating Poverty in Britain, to unpack how deeply interconnected poverty is with heart health and why this issue can no longer be ignored. Together, we explore the social determinants of cardiovascular disease, including...

In this episode of Beatwise The Podcast,   I'm joined by Dr. Maria Pabon, a leading cardiologist from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. Together, we dive into the vital topic of heart health in pregnancy - something that isn’t talked about nearly enough. We explore why pregnancy can be a natural stress test for the heart and what that means for women with known or unknown cardiovascular...

If you've never heard of amyloidosis - or assumed it was rare and irrelevant - this episode might just change everything. I'm Dr. Sarah Birkhoelzer, and in this episode of Beatwise the Podcast, I'm joined by cardiologist Dr. Sarah Cuddy from Brigham and Women’s Hospital for an eye-opening conversation about this often-misdiagnosed and misunderstood condition. We dive deep into amyloidosis symptoms...

In this episode of Beatwise The Podcast, I’m joined by renowned cardiologist Dr. Muthu Vaduganathan to dive deep into one of the most exciting developments in cardiorenal medicine: Finerenone. We explore its role as a mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist and its game-changing potential in treating patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and type 2 diabetes - two conditions that often go hand-i...

Obesity isn’t just about weight - it’s a complex, chronic condition that impacts nearly every system in the body. In this episode of Beatwise The Podcast, I sit down with Dr. John Ostrominski, an internal medicine physician and obesity researcher from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, to unpack the evolving science of obesity and what it really means for heart health, metabolism, and long-term outcome...

Did you know high blood pressure isn’t just an adult issue?  In this episode of Beatwise The Podcast , I sit down with pediatric nephrologist Dr. Emily Haseler to explore the often-overlooked world of childhood hypertension . Together, we unpack why high blood pressure in kids is more common than many realize - and why early diagnosis is absolutely crucial. We dig into how pediatric hypertens...

Welcome to the final episode in our special three-part series with the British and Irish Hypertension Society for Hypertension Awareness Month! I’m Dr. Sarah Birkhoelzer, and today I’m joined by Professor Ian Wilkinson - renowned clinician and current president of the British and Irish Hypertension Society - for a powerful conversation on how high blood pressure quietly wreaks havoc on the body. W...

Hypertension - also known as high blood pressure - is often called “the silent killer,” but that doesn’t mean we should stay silent about it.  In this second episode of our special 3-part series for Hypertension Awareness Month, I’m joined by Dr. Ryan McNally, a King’s Health Partners Clinical Research Excellence Fellow and pharmacist, to break down the realities of diagnosing, treating, and...

Welcome to Beatwise The Podcast ! This is the first episode of our special three-part series with Hypertension Society UK, where we dive deep into one of the most pressing health concerns today - high blood pressure. Joining me is Dr. Pauline Swift, nephrologist and Chairperson of Blood Pressure UK, to uncover the silent but deadly dangers of hypertension. In this episode, we break down the fundam...

Illicit drug use isn't just a mental or social issue - it can be a ticking time bomb for your heart. In this episode of Beatwise The Podcast , I sit down with Dr. George Cocks to explore the serious cardiovascular risks linked to substances like cocaine, methamphetamines, heroin, LSD, marijuana, and ketamine . We break down how these drugs affect heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen levels, and over...

Do all heart failure patients need defibrillators? Insights from the British Trial In this episode of Beatwise The Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Andrew Flett, a consultant cardiologist in Southampton and the principal investigator of the British Trial, to explore a critical question in cardiology: Do all patients with heart failure due to non-ischemic cardiomyopathy need an implantable defibrillato...