Cardiology Course FM

Epizode

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  Resistant and Malignant Hypertension: Diagnosis, Current Guidelines, Treatment and Management 11.10.2026 45min

  In our last episode we covered hypertension and the current guidelines. Today we go deeper into the two most challenging forms: resistant hypertension, where blood pressure stays high despite multiple medicines, and malignant hypertension, a true medical emergency in which severely raised blood pressure damages the eyes, kidneys, brain and heart, sometimes within days. We'll cover definitions, how to uncover hidden causes, the step-by-step treatment of resistant hypertension including renal denervation and new drugs, and the emergency management of malignant hypertension.Guest: Dr. A M Thirugnanam, MD, MSICP, FSCAI, Ph.D., Senior Interventional Cardiologist, author, educator and founder of the Academy of Elite Doctors.Host: Alexander WoodCardiology Course FM is the station for doctors, students, nurses and everyone who looks after the heart.Learn more:• Cardiology books: https://cardiologybooks.com• Mentorship with the Academy of Elite Doctors: https://academyofelitedoctors.com• Online cardiology courses: https://cardiologycourse.com• World Elite Doctors: https://worldelitedoctors.comFor medical education only. This episode is not a substitute for individual medical advice.
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  Hypertension: Diagnosis, Current Guidelines, Treatment and Management 11.10.2026 45min

  Today's topic is the single most important modifiable risk factor for death worldwide: hypertension, or high blood pressure. It affects over a billion people, causes strokes, heart attacks, heart failure, kidney disease and dementia — and yet most people with it are either undiagnosed, untreated or poorly controlled. In the last two years, new European and American guidelines have changed how we define, measure and treat blood pressure, and exciting new treatments are arriving. We'll cover diagnosis, the current guidelines, treatment and long-term management.Guest: Dr. A M Thirugnanam, MD, MSICP, FSCAI, Ph.D., Senior Interventional Cardiologist, author, educator and founder of the Academy of Elite Doctors.Host: Alexander WoodCardiology Course FM is the station for doctors, students, nurses and everyone who looks after the heart.Learn more:• Cardiology books: https://cardiologybooks.com• Mentorship with the Academy of Elite Doctors: https://academyofelitedoctors.com• Online cardiology courses: https://cardiologycourse.com• World Elite Doctors: https://worldelitedoctors.comFor medical education only. This episode is not a substitute for individual medical advice.
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  Leadless Pacemaker Implantation: Treatment and Management 11.10.2026 44min

  In our recent episodes we've explored conduction disease, pacemaker modes and cardiac resynchronisation. Today we focus on one of the most remarkable innovations in device therapy: the leadless pacemaker. Imagine a complete pacemaker — battery, electronics and electrode — about the size of a large vitamin capsule, delivered through a vein in the leg and fixed directly inside the heart, with no wires and no surgical pocket. We'll cover how these devices work, who should receive them, how they are implanted, their complications, and how patients should be managed in the long term.Guest: Dr. A M Thirugnanam, MD, MSICP, FSCAI, Ph.D., Senior Interventional Cardiologist, author, educator and founder of the Academy of Elite Doctors.Host: Alexander WoodCardiology Course FM is the station for doctors, students, nurses and everyone who looks after the heart.Learn more:• Cardiology books: https://cardiologybooks.com• Mentorship with the Academy of Elite Doctors: https://academyofelitedoctors.com• Online cardiology courses: https://cardiologycourse.com• World Elite Doctors: https://worldelitedoctors.comFor medical education only. This episode is not a substitute for individual medical advice.
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  Cardiac Resynchronisation Therapy (CRT): Treatment and Management 11.10.2026 45min

  In our last episode we discussed conduction defects and pacemaker modes. Today we focus on one of the most important device therapies for heart failure: cardiac resynchronisation therapy, or CRT. For the right patient, it can transform breathlessness into an active life, shrink a dilated heart and reduce the risk of death. But around a third of patients don't respond as hoped. So who should receive CRT, how is it implanted, how do we make sure it works, and what are the new alternatives, such as conduction system pacing?Guest: Dr. A M Thirugnanam, MD, MSICP, FSCAI, Ph.D., Senior Interventional Cardiologist, author, educator and founder of the Academy of Elite Doctors.Host: Alexander WoodCardiology Course FM is the station for doctors, students, nurses and everyone who looks after the heart.Learn more:• Cardiology books: https://cardiologybooks.com• Mentorship with the Academy of Elite Doctors: https://academyofelitedoctors.com• Online cardiology courses: https://cardiologycourse.com• World Elite Doctors: https://worldelitedoctors.comFor medical education only. This episode is not a substitute for individual medical advice.
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  Cardiac Conduction Defects and Pacemaker Mode Selection: Diagnosis, Treatment and Management 11.10.2026 44min

  Today we're exploring the heart's wiring — the conduction system — and what happens when it fails. Sinus node disease, heart block and bundle branch block can cause dizziness, fainting, heart failure and even sudden death. And the pacemaker, one of the greatest inventions in medicine, can restore a normal life. But which patients need a pacemaker, and which mode should we choose — single chamber, dual chamber, biventricular, conduction system pacing, or the new leadless devices? We'll cover diagnosis, temporary and permanent pacing, mode selection and long-term management.Guest: Dr. A M Thirugnanam, MD, MSICP, FSCAI, Ph.D., Senior Interventional Cardiologist, author, educator and founder of the Academy of Elite Doctors.Host: Alexander WoodCardiology Course FM is the station for doctors, students, nurses and everyone who looks after the heart.Learn more:• Cardiology books: https://cardiologybooks.com• Mentorship with the Academy of Elite Doctors: https://academyofelitedoctors.com• Online cardiology courses: https://cardiologycourse.com• World Elite Doctors: https://worldelitedoctors.comFor medical education only. This episode is not a substitute for individual medical advice.
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  Cardiac Ventricular Arrhythmias: Diagnosis, Treatment and Management 11.10.2026 45min

  In our last episode we explored the atrial arrhythmias. Today we move down to the ventricles, where arrhythmias can be the difference between life and death. Ventricular arrhythmias range from harmless extra beats to ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation and sudden cardiac death, which claims millions of lives worldwide every year. We'll cover the mechanisms, how to interpret the ECG, how to investigate the underlying heart, and how to treat — from the emergency department to the cath lab and the electrophysiology suite.Guest: Dr. A M Thirugnanam, MD, MSICP, FSCAI, Ph.D., Senior Interventional Cardiologist, author, educator and founder of the Academy of Elite Doctors.Host: Alexander WoodCardiology Course FM is the station for doctors, students, nurses and everyone who looks after the heart.Learn more:• Cardiology books: https://cardiologybooks.com• Mentorship with the Academy of Elite Doctors: https://academyofelitedoctors.com• Online cardiology courses: https://cardiologycourse.com• World Elite Doctors: https://worldelitedoctors.comFor medical education only. This episode is not a substitute for individual medical advice.
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  Cardiac Atrial Arrhythmias: Diagnosis, Treatment and Management 11.10.2026 44min

  Today we're focusing on the atrial arrhythmias — the rhythm disturbances that arise in the upper chambers of the heart. They range from harmless atrial ectopic beats to atrial tachycardia, atrial flutter and, most importantly, atrial fibrillation, the commonest sustained arrhythmia in the world and a major cause of stroke and heart failure. We'll cover how to recognise them on the ECG, how to investigate them, and how to treat and manage them using the latest guidelines and trials.Guest: Dr. A M Thirugnanam, MD, MSICP, FSCAI, Ph.D., Senior Interventional Cardiologist, author, educator and founder of the Academy of Elite Doctors.Host: Alexander WoodCardiology Course FM is the station for doctors, students, nurses and everyone who looks after the heart.Learn more:• Cardiology books: https://cardiologybooks.com• Mentorship with the Academy of Elite Doctors: https://academyofelitedoctors.com• Online cardiology courses: https://cardiologycourse.com• World Elite Doctors: https://worldelitedoctors.comFor medical education only. This episode is not a substitute for individual medical advice.
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  Cardiac Antiarrhythmic Drugs: Classification, Mechanisms, Effects and Side Effects 11.10.2026 45min

  Today's topic is one that every doctor prescribes, every examiner asks about, and many of us find confusing: the antiarrhythmic drugs. How are they classified? How do they work at the level of the ion channels? When do we use them — and, just as importantly, when can they harm or even kill? From amiodarone and flecainide to beta-blockers, digoxin and adenosine, we'll cover classification, mechanisms, clinical effects and side effects.Guest: Dr. A M Thirugnanam, MD, MSICP, FSCAI, Ph.D., Senior Interventional Cardiologist, author, educator and founder of the Academy of Elite Doctors.Host: Alexander WoodCardiology Course FM is the station for doctors, students, nurses and everyone who looks after the heart.Learn more:• Cardiology books: https://cardiologybooks.com• Mentorship with the Academy of Elite Doctors: https://academyofelitedoctors.com• Online cardiology courses: https://cardiologycourse.com• World Elite Doctors: https://worldelitedoctors.comFor medical education only. This episode is not a substitute for individual medical advice.
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  Screen Time, Prolonged Sitting and the Heart: Cardiovascular Effects in AI and Software Professionals 11.10.2026 44min

  Today's topic touches millions of people, and perhaps many of our listeners personally: the health effects of excessive screen time and prolonged sitting. Software engineers, AI developers, data scientists and gamers often sit in front of screens for twelve, sixteen, even twenty hours a day, working through the night to meet deadlines or match time zones on the other side of the world. We'll discuss how this lifestyle affects the heart, the blood vessels and every other system in the body, how to detect problems early, and how to treat and prevent them.Guest: Dr. A M Thirugnanam, MD, MSICP, FSCAI, Ph.D., Senior Interventional Cardiologist, author, educator and founder of the Academy of Elite Doctors.Host: Alexander WoodCardiology Course FM is the station for doctors, students, nurses and everyone who looks after the heart.Learn more:• Cardiology books: https://cardiologybooks.com• Mentorship with the Academy of Elite Doctors: https://academyofelitedoctors.com• Online cardiology courses: https://cardiologycourse.com• World Elite Doctors: https://worldelitedoctors.comFor medical education only. This episode is not a substitute for individual medical advice.
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  Global Warming, El Nino, Earthquakes, Landslides and the Cardiovascular System: Diagnosis, Treatment and Management 11.10.2026 44min

  Today we're exploring a topic that is rapidly moving from the margins to the centre of cardiology: how our changing planet affects the heart. Global warming, record-breaking heat waves, El Nino cycles, wildfires and air pollution, and natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods and landslides — all of these place enormous stress on the cardiovascular system. Heart attacks, strokes, heart failure and sudden deaths rise during and after these events. We'll discuss the mechanisms, how to recognise and diagnose cardiovascular problems in these situations, and how to treat, manage and prepare.Guest: Dr. A M Thirugnanam, MD, MSICP, FSCAI, Ph.D., Senior Interventional Cardiologist, author, educator and founder of the Academy of Elite Doctors.Host: Alexander WoodCardiology Course FM is the station for doctors, students, nurses and everyone who looks after the heart.Learn more:• Cardiology books: https://cardiologybooks.com• Mentorship with the Academy of Elite Doctors: https://academyofelitedoctors.com• Online cardiology courses: https://cardiologycourse.com• World Elite Doctors: https://worldelitedoctors.comFor medical education only. This episode is not a substitute for individual medical advice.
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  The Coronary Artery Disease Epidemic: Diagnosis, Treatment and Management 11.10.2026 45min

  Today we're tackling what many experts call the greatest epidemic of our time — the epidemic of coronary artery disease. It is the leading cause of death worldwide, and nowhere is the challenge greater than in South Asia, where heart attacks strike a decade earlier than in the West, often in people in their thirties and forties. We'll also look at how infectious epidemics, such as influenza and COVID-19, interact with coronary disease. And we'll cover diagnosis, treatment and, above all, prevention.Guest: Dr. A M Thirugnanam, MD, MSICP, FSCAI, Ph.D., Senior Interventional Cardiologist, author, educator and founder of the Academy of Elite Doctors.Host: Alexander WoodCardiology Course FM is the station for doctors, students, nurses and everyone who looks after the heart.Learn more:• Cardiology books: https://cardiologybooks.com• Mentorship with the Academy of Elite Doctors: https://academyofelitedoctors.com• Online cardiology courses: https://cardiologycourse.com• World Elite Doctors: https://worldelitedoctors.comFor medical education only. This episode is not a substitute for individual medical advice.
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  Collagen Vascular Diseases and the Heart: Diagnosis, Treatment and Management 11.10.2026 45min

  Today we're exploring an area where cardiology meets rheumatology: the collagen vascular diseases, also called connective tissue diseases — lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic sclerosis, inflammatory myositis, Sjögren's syndrome, the spondyloarthropathies and the vasculitides. These conditions can affect every layer of the heart — the pericardium, the myocardium, the valves, the coronary arteries, the conduction system and the pulmonary circulation — and heart disease is now one of the leading causes of death in these patients. We'll cover how they affect the heart, how to diagnose cardiac involvement, and how to treat and manage it.Guest: Dr. A M Thirugnanam, MD, MSICP, FSCAI, Ph.D., Senior Interventional Cardiologist, author, educator and founder of the Academy of Elite Doctors.Host: Alexander WoodCardiology Course FM is the station for doctors, students, nurses and everyone who looks after the heart.Learn more:• Cardiology books: https://cardiologybooks.com• Mentorship with the Academy of Elite Doctors: https://academyofelitedoctors.com• Online cardiology courses: https://cardiologycourse.com• World Elite Doctors: https://worldelitedoctors.comFor medical education only. This episode is not a substitute for individual medical advice.
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  Culture-Negative Infective Endocarditis: Diagnosis, Treatment and Management 11.10.2026 44min

  In a recent episode we covered bacterial infective endocarditis. Today we tackle one of its most frustrating forms: culture-negative endocarditis. The patient has fever, a murmur and a vegetation on the echo — yet every blood culture comes back sterile. Without an organism, how do we choose antibiotics, how long do we treat, and how do we know we've got the right diagnosis at all? We'll cover the causes, a systematic diagnostic approach, targeted and empirical treatment, and the role of surgery.Guest: Dr. A M Thirugnanam, MD, MSICP, FSCAI, Ph.D., Senior Interventional Cardiologist, author, educator and founder of the Academy of Elite Doctors.Host: Alexander WoodCardiology Course FM is the station for doctors, students, nurses and everyone who looks after the heart.Learn more:• Cardiology books: https://cardiologybooks.com• Mentorship with the Academy of Elite Doctors: https://academyofelitedoctors.com• Online cardiology courses: https://cardiologycourse.com• World Elite Doctors: https://worldelitedoctors.comFor medical education only. This episode is not a substitute for individual medical advice.
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  Viral and Other Pathogen-Related Myocarditis: Diagnosis, Treatment and Management 11.10.2026 45min

  Today we're exploring infectious myocarditis — inflammation of the heart muscle caused by viruses, bacteria, parasites and other pathogens. It can strike a healthy young athlete after a simple cold, follow a bout of dengue or scrub typhus, or present as chest pain that looks exactly like a heart attack. Most patients recover completely, but some develop fulminant shock within hours, and others slowly progress to dilated cardiomyopathy. We'll cover the pathogens, how to make the diagnosis, and how to treat and follow these patients.Guest: Dr. A M Thirugnanam, MD, MSICP, FSCAI, Ph.D., Senior Interventional Cardiologist, author, educator and founder of the Academy of Elite Doctors.Host: Alexander WoodCardiology Course FM is the station for doctors, students, nurses and everyone who looks after the heart.Learn more:• Cardiology books: https://cardiologybooks.com• Mentorship with the Academy of Elite Doctors: https://academyofelitedoctors.com• Online cardiology courses: https://cardiologycourse.com• World Elite Doctors: https://worldelitedoctors.comFor medical education only. This episode is not a substitute for individual medical advice.
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  Bacterial Infective Endocarditis: Diagnosis, Treatment and Management 11.10.2026 45min

  Today's topic is one of the most dangerous infections in medicine — bacterial infective endocarditis. It can hide behind a simple fever, present as a stroke, a kidney problem or back pain, and destroy a heart valve within days. Despite modern antibiotics and surgery, around one in five patients still die in hospital. We'll cover who gets it, how to diagnose it, how to choose antibiotics, when to send for surgery, and how to prevent it.Guest: Dr. A M Thirugnanam, MD, MSICP, FSCAI, Ph.D., Senior Interventional Cardiologist, author, educator and founder of the Academy of Elite Doctors.Host: Alexander WoodCardiology Course FM is the station for doctors, students, nurses and everyone who looks after the heart.Learn more:• Cardiology books: https://cardiologybooks.com• Mentorship with the Academy of Elite Doctors: https://academyofelitedoctors.com• Online cardiology courses: https://cardiologycourse.com• World Elite Doctors: https://worldelitedoctors.comFor medical education only. This episode is not a substitute for individual medical advice.
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  Constrictive Pericarditis ("Constrictive Cardiomyopathy"): Diagnosis, Treatment and Management 11.10.2026 44min

  In our last episode we explored restrictive cardiomyopathy — the stiff heart that cannot fill. Today we turn to its great mimic: constriction. Patients with constrictive physiology often arrive with a swollen abdomen, swollen legs and a heart that looks almost normal on the echo — and many are labelled as liver disease or cardiomyopathy for years. Yet this is one of the few causes of heart failure that can be cured. We'll cover the causes, the diagnosis, how to separate it from restrictive cardiomyopathy, and the treatment — from anti-inflammatory drugs to surgery.Guest: Dr. A M Thirugnanam, MD, MSICP, FSCAI, Ph.D., Senior Interventional Cardiologist, author, educator and founder of the Academy of Elite Doctors.Host: Alexander WoodCardiology Course FM is the station for doctors, students, nurses and everyone who looks after the heart.Learn more:• Cardiology books: https://cardiologybooks.com• Mentorship with the Academy of Elite Doctors: https://academyofelitedoctors.com• Online cardiology courses: https://cardiologycourse.com• World Elite Doctors: https://worldelitedoctors.comFor medical education only. This episode is not a substitute for individual medical advice.
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  Restrictive Cardiomyopathy: Diagnosis, Treatment and Management 11.10.2026 44min

  Today we're focusing on the least understood member of the cardiomyopathy family: restrictive cardiomyopathy. It's the heart that pumps reasonably well but cannot fill. Patients arrive with swollen legs, a swollen abdomen and breathlessness, and are often treated for liver disease or kidney disease for months before anyone thinks of the heart. We'll cover the causes — from amyloidosis to endomyocardial fibrosis — how to diagnose them, how to separate restriction from constrictive pericarditis, and how modern therapies are changing outcomes.Guest: Dr. A M Thirugnanam, MD, MSICP, FSCAI, Ph.D., Senior Interventional Cardiologist, author, educator and founder of the Academy of Elite Doctors.Host: Alexander WoodCardiology Course FM is the station for doctors, students, nurses and everyone who looks after the heart.Learn more:• Cardiology books: https://cardiologybooks.com• Mentorship with the Academy of Elite Doctors: https://academyofelitedoctors.com• Online cardiology courses: https://cardiologycourse.com• World Elite Doctors: https://worldelitedoctors.comFor medical education only. This episode is not a substitute for individual medical advice.
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  Benign and Malignant Arrhythmias: Diagnosis, Treatment and Management 11.10.2026 44min

  Today we're tackling a topic that every doctor meets, from the casualty department to the outpatient clinic: arrhythmias. Some rhythm disturbances are harmless and simply need reassurance. Others can kill within minutes. The real skill lies in telling them apart — quickly, calmly and correctly. We'll cover benign and malignant arrhythmias, how to diagnose them, and how to treat and manage them in the long term.Guest: Dr. A M Thirugnanam, MD, MSICP, FSCAI, Ph.D., Senior Interventional Cardiologist, author, educator and founder of the Academy of Elite Doctors.Host: Alexander WoodCardiology Course FM is the station for doctors, students, nurses and everyone who looks after the heart.Learn more:• Cardiology books: https://cardiologybooks.com• Mentorship with the Academy of Elite Doctors: https://academyofelitedoctors.com• Online cardiology courses: https://cardiologycourse.com• World Elite Doctors: https://worldelitedoctors.comFor medical education only. This episode is not a substitute for individual medical advice.
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  Cardiomyopathies: Diagnosis, Treatment and Management 11.10.2026 44min

  Today's topic covers some of the most fascinating and fast-moving areas in cardiology: the cardiomyopathies — diseases of the heart muscle itself. From the young athlete who collapses on the field, to the elderly man with heart failure and carpal tunnel syndrome, to the woman whose heart balloons after a sudden shock, cardiomyopathies are diverse, often genetic, and increasingly treatable with targeted therapies. We'll cover classification, diagnosis, treatment and long-term management.Guest: Dr. A M Thirugnanam, MD, MSICP, FSCAI, Ph.D., Senior Interventional Cardiologist, author, educator and founder of the Academy of Elite Doctors.Host: Alexander WoodCardiology Course FM is the station for doctors, students, nurses and everyone who looks after the heart.Learn more:• Cardiology books: https://cardiologybooks.com• Mentorship with the Academy of Elite Doctors: https://academyofelitedoctors.com• Online cardiology courses: https://cardiologycourse.com• World Elite Doctors: https://worldelitedoctors.comFor medical education only. This episode is not a substitute for individual medical advice.
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  Inflammatory Heart Diseases: Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention 11.10.2026 44min

  In our last episode, we discussed rheumatic heart disease, an inflammatory disease of the heart valves. Today we widen the lens to the whole family of inflammatory heart diseases — myocarditis, pericarditis, infective endocarditis, cardiac sarcoidosis, the heart in autoimmune diseases and vasculitis, and the role of inflammation in coronary artery disease itself. We'll talk about diagnosis, treatment and prevention.Guest: Dr. A M Thirugnanam, MD, MSICP, FSCAI, Ph.D., Senior Interventional Cardiologist, author, educator and founder of the Academy of Elite Doctors.Host: Alexander WoodCardiology Course FM is the station for doctors, students, nurses and everyone who looks after the heart.Learn more:• Cardiology books: https://cardiologybooks.com• Mentorship with the Academy of Elite Doctors: https://academyofelitedoctors.com• Online cardiology courses: https://cardiologycourse.com• World Elite Doctors: https://worldelitedoctors.comFor medical education only. This episode is not a substitute for individual medical advice.