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Call for questions: HEARTS (Patreon)

Published:
2025-02-14 22:33:40
Edited:
2025-02-15 06:11:20
Imported:
2026-06

Content

Hearts! This is a big one: heart health, heart physiology, heart disorders and diseases. The American Heart Association awarded my upcoming guest with a Clinical Research Prize and honored him Physician of the Year. What questions do you have for this celebrated cardiologist?

Deadline: Wednesday, February 19 at 5pm PST

P.S. Let me know if you're a first time question asker (FTQA). Happy Valentine's Day!

Comments

Rachel Guthrie

Do we actually have heart strings and can they be tugged on or broken?

Dillon S.

First comment! I wanna know more about the research we have for broken hearts. In an episode of “science vs” Wendy discussed it but would love to know if there’s more research that has been done since than! Thanks!

Jessi B

What is the most surprising thing about how the heart adapts to stress or extreme conditions?

RJ Doidge

I’ve always been curious about the relationship between dental health and heart health! Why does that bacteria affect the other SO strongly?? Happy VD PodDad 💙

Nicky G

What's the deal with Broken Heart Syndrome aka Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy? How does extreme emotion or stress cause heart pathology?

CRH

FTQA…I know that there are a variety of congenital heart defects that affect animals (I’m in vet school) and we have specific breeds more prone to certain ones. Are there specific heart defects that are more common in people or even people from different areas of the world?

Meagan Walker

Every once in a while my heart palpitates and feels like a frog bouncing around in a spiderweb. Why? I’ve been assured I’m “fine” after monitoring, but it seems that stress brings it on.

Diana Teeter

Do hearts have memory? Thinking about heart transplant recipients who experience changes post transplant.

Fiona Rogge

why do anxiety and panic attacks cause elevated heart rate even when breathing slower than what would match the heart rate? How do hearts do this? And what else makes unusual heart activity not linked to breathing?

Abbe

FTQA does substance abuse play a role in CAD?

Matt Ceccato

What is the best exercise you can do to improve your heart?

Charlotte Parkinson

I've recently lost a friend who had Marfan's syndrome. He had a few heart surgeries. I hadn't really heard of this syndrome before so I was wondering, in what way does it affect the heart?

Annabelle

Why do we associate hearts with love? And why do we feel actual physical pain in the heart when we’re emotionally devastated?

Nina Giacobbe

Can you talk about heart murmurs and why dentists need to know about them?

biomermaid23

first time question asker and new patreon member !! (long time ologies lover and listener) : wondering if they ever see any connections between mental health/stress/anxiety and physical stress on the heart - ex. anxiety attacks cause massive heart palpitations, does this impact long term function and/or health of the organ? if so, can this damage be repaired over time? thank you!!! ❤️💖🫀

Annabelle

What’s one thing the ologist wants everyone to know / do for their heart health?

daniel schmaniel

i was born with a pulmonary stenosis, but around the age of 12 it went away. is this normal? my cardiologist seemed baffled

Sky Fiolleau

Why in the world is the heart emoji (typical heart shape) theory it is when actual hearts look nothing like the symbol??? Why aren't we drawing the heart organ to dot our Is?

Daniel Camacho

I saw a video where a dude "unwraps" an anatomically accurate model of a heart. Is the heart muscle really just one long piece that's wrapped up? Or is that just flim flam...

Brenden and Ashley

FTQA! Can getting into shape through regular cardio later in life undo some of the potential heart damage of being obese/sedentary previously? I was overweight my whole life until last year when I started running/eating better and lost 85 pounds.

Felix Lasselle

When does low blood pressure become a problem? Is it related to heart health?

Andy Pepper

Forever mindblown that our bodies produce *electricity* that makes hearts beat. How does that work?!

Alexandru Pîntea

similar to how people in Tibet have lung/blood adaptations for life at high altitude, is there any such variation/adaptation to the heart in any population around the world? FTQA

Abbe

Second this

William Andrews

Is the process of lasering holes in the heart for it to get blood profusion directly still being used?

Vanessa Adams

Why is heart disease such a silent disease process? Why don’t we get better tests routinely if it’s a leading cause of death in women? Other than advocating for yourself when you feel sick, how can I (as a woman) screen myself or request testing to make sure I am ok?

Meaghan Ratcliffe

what actually is a “hole in the heart” and how does it happen? i’ve had a family member with this and i’ve heard of it a lot but like…how do you get a hole in there? genetics? lifestyle?

SarahDLR

Probably the wrong kind of heart but can you tell us the reason behind the shape? Is it because it’s vaguely anatomical? Is there really truth in the butt myth?

Sarah Piette

Why do we associate hearts with love? And why can you literally feel a heartbreak in your chest?

Felix Lasselle

Is Heart Rate actually a good indicator for health? Can someone have high blood pressure but low resting HR or are they usually related?

Nicole Robb

FTQA: Why does my heart feel like it’s trying to escape through my ribcage sometimes?? Like when you are holding a bug in your hands and it’s trying to jump out.

Jocelyn Alcantara-Garcia

PLEASE explain to me my SVT supraventricular tachycardia, how adenosin works when it refuses to slow down (max can go up to 280 hbpm!), and reasure me: I cannot die during one of my "episodes", right? It is terrifying and I really feel I am going to die :(

Andy Pepper

Is drinking red wine really good for your heart, and is that outweighed by whatever damage it does to the body otherwise?

Cassandra Grafstrom

I had a wonderful friend who suffered from an aortic dissection and died a few years ago. Can you talk about aortic dissections — are there symptoms to look out for? Are there family or genetic predispositions? Can it be related to infections or other diseases?

Vanessa Adams

Real talk. How bad is caffeine for your heart if consumed in moderate amounts (100-200mg/day) for years on end? Are we healthcare and shift workers just doomed?

Andrew McVay

What’s the average size of a heart? Does size vary significantly between adults of the same body size? How do you measure a heart? By pumping speed, physical size, weight?

Aileen Lands

What happens during a coronary ablation? Is it to correct electrical flow that is causing an arrhythmia? How do doctors know what part to ablate?

Terena

I normally have a fast resting heart rate (over 90bps). It’s been that way since I was a kid. Some doctors say it’s no big deal but other doctors wanted to run tests because I have tachycardia. Who’s right? I’m now in my 50’s. Should I be concerned?

Lizzy Martinez

if our heart beats faster when we're stressed or anxious, what does that do to our heart health if we're consistently stressed/anxious?

Ashley Rockett

Can mental health issues affect your heart and lead to heart issues

Bologna Sandwich

FTQA!! My (overall pretty healthy) partner in their 30s has a lot of chest pain, claims his “heart hurts”, and gets shortness of breath at seemingly random times. When we go to docs they’re not much help - the ole “could be anxiety, could be pre-workout, could be bla-dee-doo” etc. etc. Are there any tips to personally monitor heart health (obvs not completely, but just general “am I probably okay or might I be dying” analysis) and/or to help prepare for doc appointments? Are there any things to track or specifically ask for?

Amanda Regan

What causes congestive heart failure?

AlienOceans

FTQA: I've always been curious if "dying of a broken heart" is a real thing or just a turn of phrase... If it is real how does that happen?? Thank you!!

Aly V

Thank you for all the recent health related episodes! My question is if commercial wearables (I.e. Apple Watch, garmin, Fitbit, etc.) are actually viable to track your heart health.

Josh Frye

We've learned so much about hearts - what's something we still haven't figured out about them?

Jessica Schlarbaum

FTQA: How does alcohol consumption impact cardiac functioning? I've noticed when I drink, it can sometimes feel like my heart is beating extra hard (one of the many reasons I decided to give up drinking!).

Michelle Jenny

FTQA: I have high HDL but a clean ct scan. How do I know when to go on meds? The info appears contradictory.

Dr. Lina Carpenter

(1) Do cardiologists constantly get heart-themed gits, and what do they ACTUALLY want? (2) How frequently do you see diagrams/drawings of anatomical hearts that are incorrect? (Thinking mainly of tattoos and artwork.) (3) During open-heart surgery, the heart is still *going*, right? Does the beating of the heart affect a surgeon's technique/work? (4) What's the wildest or most awesome heart-related medical situation you've encountered? And/or a story that you know that's true? (5) My great-aunt died of a heart attack after years of being diagnosed with stomach issues, and I know there are persistent problems with womens' heart issues being misdiagnosed. Stomach issues run in my family (I've had GERD since early childhood), so how can I make sure I'm not misattributing what might be heart-related to my stomach?

Kathleen C

What exactly are premature ventricular contractions? I know they are triggered by things like stress, caffeine, and lack of sleep, but why? What purpose do they serve? (I am prone to them and have been to a cardiologist, but never really got the full story.)

Jonny Surridge

FTQA When you have chest pain and it feels like your heart hurts, is that actually your heart or psychosomatic?

the ren you know

Why is POTS not considered a heart condition when "Tachycardia" is in the name?

Chrysalis Ashton

What is the current success rate of ECMO? Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Technically heart and lung bypass but they are kinda a package deal 😉 #respiratorytherapist

wendy Forman

My husband has a number of cardiac issues including having had surgery to correct Tetralogy of Failot. He is 77 and also has CHF and so I cook a low salt diet. But has salt been rehabilitated somehow? It is confusing. His cardiologist who is great is pretty strict; however, his EP cardiologist and our primary care dr. are less so. Where does he stand on the salt question?

Sophie Bridger

FTQA (hello from Scotland!) What are the best things you can do to protect your heart health during menopause?

Dylan V

Tell me about blood pressure and heart health please! Asking for me.

Amber Dickerson

Is it possible to die from a broken heart?

Ellen Lentz Waldstein

Ftqa. What do dilated atria indicate? Would you expect dilated atria to remain that way? 2 echocardiograms 4 yrs apart...one found this but the second found normal size. Can echocardiograms vary by reader or time? Thx

Pseudonym Jones IV

Is the Bundle of Niss still a thing? Or is that just something weird I am remembering from half a century ago, I'm asking from the bottom of my heart.

Kayla Whyte

How do intense emotions (love, hate, fear) affect our heart health? Sayings like “dying of a broken heart” seem like they can be true to an extent with our mental health so I want to know if they actually hurt our lil hearts

Pseudonym Jones IV

After further searching, apparently it's the Bundle of His, which is far less evocative. Bah.

Mandie Viscusi

Sharing some questions from one of my best friends, who was by my side during my heart surgery (at 17) and had her youngest daughter born with congenital heart defects when we were supposed to be together! (She’s totally fine now, and so am I, so thanks cardiologists!) 1- why are some people born with congenital defects? What causes them? 2- HOW DO THEY EVEN REPAIR HEARTS THAT SMALL?! 3- What should one look for when finding a cardiologist when one's heart was repaired as an infant? (Looking ahead for when my pipsqueak grows up) 4- Is it true that there's a connection between congenial defects and ADHD? Is it the defect or the anesthesia?

Aninvan

FTQA - My mom has been in atrial fibrillation for essentially 14 months with very small breaks (usually under 24 hours). What causes this? What does laser ablation of the heart do that may help to stop this? Heart disease runs in the women in my family - how do I try to prevent winding up in the same boat?

Morgan Magnuson

FTQA. Given that lifestyle factors (diet, physical activity, tobacco, alcohol etc.) are relatively poor predictors of heart disease why do we continue to privilege prevention efforts that target health behaviours rather than those that address people’s material conditions (where they live, work, love and play)?

Cassy Plicka

Going along with this, sometimes it feels like a beat or two is “harder” or like off the rhythm compared to the cadence of the other beats but it doesn’t show up on an ECG or an EKG but I can literally feel a difference. Why is this?

Michael Williams

I know this isn’t really a heat thing but why does heartburn feel like my heart is in pain and I’m going to die? That shit is fucked up.

Samwise

Exercise is good for your heart, but is there such a thing as too much of a good thing?

Blobfish guy

one of my family members apparently has a pig valve in his heart. can you actually do that or is he just spreading flim flam?

Samwise

Can you talk about why PVC’s and PAC’s happen?

Amelia Wilde

FTQA!! Just like many other question askers; super curious on how dying of a broken heart works! To add on to that, how do emotions specifically affect our heart?? Why is the heart tied to feelings such as love?? Does love actually play an affect on heart health or is it more just an association thats been made over time??? Very excited to hear this episode 😁😁

Alison Gussack

My husband, Paul, asks why is hypertension so prevalent? Lifestyle, genetics, Orcs?

Wagsvet

FTQA- Heart disease is the #1 killer of women. Why have women historically been underrepresented in research studies of heart disease? Has this trend been corrected? Are health outcomes different for men and women who experience heart attacks because womens’ symptoms are not recognized?

King Kong - Retired

FQTA. Was Heart's cover of Stairway to Heaven a few years ago at the Kennedy Center Honors not the best damn cover of anything - EVER?

Laura Jordens-Harris

I’ve always been told I have an innocent heart murmur but I don’t really know what that means. Can you have a guilty heart murmur?

Samwise

Why are heart attack symptoms different between genders?

Jaqi McCarthy

Can you talk about heart rate? Mine seems too fast. What is too fast and how can it be harmful ?

beanbag the cat

i see everyone who’s asking about women’s heart health and i raise you, trans heart health? what’s going on with hormones and hearts for all genders?

Scott Hanley

Atrial Fibrillation caused a surprise stroke in my, now 94 year old Mother in Law, 2 years ago. Called A Fib for short by medical pros, it’s no lie, very dangerous, are there ever predictors, though?

Pallison

First time story mentioner🧍‍♀️ My mother was born with a hole in her heart! She had to ongo open heart surgery as a newborn and they used a vein to patch the hole. Can your heart shrink and grow like the grinch?

Eva Berger

FTQA Which autoimmune diseases can affect the heart?

beanbag the cat

also, can we talk about ADHD meds and heart stuff? and palpitations: why do they feel so scary if they’re usually not a big deal?

Cheryl Buettner

FTQA: Since the heart is essentially just a pump, what is the status of developing a robotic replacement that can efficiently move blood through the circulatory system? Are there other functions of the heart that would need to be replicated in order to create an artificial organ made of materials other than organic tissue?

Waylo

And do we know enough about the differences — is there a gap in our understanding of the differences in gender heart health?

Caroline Birnhak

FTQA: what do you recommend to someone with Arrhythmogenic Right Ventrical Cardiomyopathy (ARVC) do to maintain a healthy/active lifestyle. Without putting themselves at risk for sudden cardiac arrest? How do you suggest someone deals with coping with that diagnosis?

CassTheDogNerd

FTQA - What is the one habit/activity that you would completely eliminate in the interest of heart health?

Daniella Napolitano

My dad is a cardiac anesthesiologist who I'm sure is tired of all his adult children texting him, "Am I having a heart attack?" but HONESTLY what are the signs that you should actually go to the hospital? There are so many random symptoms, especially in women, that could easily be something else. ALSO: Heart Palpitations. I always thought it meant something else and then I read the definition "when a person becomes aware of their heartbeat." When are palpitations a sign of something serious vs. anxiety?

Cascade

FTQA- what is the origin of the heart that we draw? <3 Is there any science about like the feeling of love and the heart organ? What is the history of the heart as a symbol of love?

Aurora Sullivan

Would love to hear some discussion about lipids and Lp(a) either on this one or a more specific Lipidology episode!

Ellen Storm

Is a bunch of leaky valves a cause for concern? I’m a 64 year old she/her who likes to think of herself as an endurance runner. Last year I had an echocardiogram that showed all my heart values have some regurgitation. The doctors don’t seem concerned. Is that just because the cure is worse than the condition? Did my running cause this?

Mona Finlayson

What was the first species to evolve a heart?

Rosa

I have endometriosis and I’ve read that people with this condition are more prone to problems with their hearts, which is really a bummer especially as it is incurable and already comes with a ton of symptoms. For people with this condition and other similar issues, what can we do to try to keep the heart-related side effects at bay? Just the normal lifestyle changes like diet and exercise?

Rebecca Morrison

What metric is the best indicator of heart health? What is the worst? What is the easiest/hardest to influence?

Mona Finlayson

Why are hearts associated with love?

Mona Finlayson

What do fish hearts look like and how do they work?

Mona Finlayson

Which species has the biggest and most complex hearts?

Mona Finlayson

Do hearts vary is size between different humans?

Mona Finlayson

What does it mean or do for a certain species to have a bigger heart and is it usually associated with an entire animal being larger?

Melanie Abbott

FTQA - Who discovered giving an electric shock can restart people’s hearts? And.. how?!

PopsicleEmperor

Is there research on how trauma impacts the function or structure of the heart itself? As a therapist I'm very curious about the somatic connection here.

Rob Morgan

Can “heart block” be reversed through diet and exercise.

Ashley Herbel

Hi! After 2 failed cardiac ablation surgeries, I have been diagnosed with SA node reentry tachycardia with some v-tach. Do we know why/how these nodes get so messed up and cause the electrical system to malfunction? Any promising future treatments besides medications and pacemakers?

Maureen Flood

I LOVE THE HEART SO MUCH. Sometimes thinking about it makes me cry because it is so cool. No question. I’m an NP who works with heart failure patients and this is MY FAVORITE THING.

Christina Hanna

What’s really happening when we’re hurt emotionally and feel a pain in our chest? We call it heart break but what’s actually happening?

Lisa Gorman

Why do some previously healthy people get severe cardiomyopathy after viral infections like covid?

Christina Hanna

FTQA: I know chronic stress affects all parts of the body. How exactly does it affect the heart? And if our of the situation causing chronic stress, is the damage repairable? What can we do to repair?

Erin Powell

First time question asker! My dad has “severe calcium build up” in one of his arteries and says his doctors aren’t that concerned. What is that? What causes it? Also, is it true that a steady, slow heart beat is not actually a sign of health, rather its ability to speed up and slow down with the level of activity you are doing? Is all the wim hof stuff like cold therapy really good for your heart?

Laureen Philipp

First time asking a question for Oligies… What’s the deal with POTS? Is it a heart condition, a neurological condition or something else? My daughter was diagnosed with POTS a couple of years ago and I still don’t feel like I understand it well

Anastasia Press

What do you think of a plant-based diet for heart health? Dr. Michael Gregor (founder of nutritionfacts.org) shared an anecdote in his book about how his grandmother was able to reverse her heart disease with a plant-based diet, but I'm wondering if this is more of a one-off thing or something that's been shown in research as well.

Anastasia Press

How does pregnancy effect the heart? I'm curious in general, but also wondering about this weird but benign electrical misfiring issue that developed in my heart during pregnancy

Pavka34

To pick up on other questions about women and heart health. What impact does menopause have on your heart?

Pavka34

Why was a four chambered heart evolved over three? Why did we stop at four? Five chambers not allowed?

Pavka34

So I used to regularly have a pulse around 40 beats a minute which freaked out my doctor. I saw the cardiologist and he said I was okay (a run) but is that a problem? Also, as I’ve aged it seems to have sped up.

Katie Munoz

FTQA - Do people really die of broken heart syndrome? and I've heard that when a person receives a heart transplant they often inherit some of the donor's likes and dislikes. Is this true?

Saira (‘Sarah’) Manns

Is it true everyone is born with a set amount of heartbeats - like there’s a maximum number of heartbeats a person could have in one lifetime?

Raja

Relationship between high sugar intake and heart health. Assuming one otherwise eats well. Asking for a "friend". Raja rhymes with papaya.

Raja

What's the most recent 'whoa' discovery about hearts - as far as the interviewee is concerned. Raja rhymes with papaya.

Kirke Godfrey

Long time STALKER! First Time question asker: Be interested to know what we now know about the effects Covid has had on heart health, Long Term. (asking for myself, ex surfer previously with decent health,) who now gets breathless walking up a steep pathway. And a quick shout out to Jacinda Ardern, the (at the time) PM of NZ who kept us all a LOT safer than we would have been under, 'Cough,' other circumstances'

Sonjabird

What is life like for people after a heart transplant?

Manny Jin Buu

Hi. MANNY here. FTQA. How close or realistic is the prospect of an individual to receive a non original heart organ, whether from genetically modified creatures or artificial devices… also, would the prospect of a 3D printer making an organic heart from the patients genetic material ever be possible? Sorry if I talk/type a lot.

C M

FTQA Is there a correlation between height and blood pressure? Are taller/larger people prone to higher blood pressure since it requires more pressure to pump blood from the heart throughout the body? Is that good or bad? Technically should it be a different measurement based on your overall size?

eightchbomb

FTQA: how far are we from cloned human hearts grown in pigs for transplantation? What about a Never Let Me Go situation — would it actually work to clone humans to replace hearts? Like could they eliminate organ rejection from a cloned human’s heart — could there ever be some kind of O-type heart? Can you do an organ transplant episode?

C M

One of my family members was born with a heart defect and had a pig valve in their heart. So your family member could definitely be telling the truth! Not sure if that is as common anymore as this was done 35ish years ago!

Rachel Guthrie

How does stress impact our heart’s ability to function?

Jacklyn Costa

What would improve the success rate of a pig-human heart transfer?

Jeanette-o-saur

Adding into this, what is a normal amount of heart palpitations. Because every little stress and excitement gives me a faster or stronger heartbeat, sooo am is weirdo or does this happen to everyone? How much therapy do I need here? 😉

Marissa Jacobsen

How does a pacemaker work? My dad has been kept alive by one for over 30 years. I like to call him a cyborg.

Hailee Kirby

Ohhh my goodness, I have been so excited for this one!!! I'm a cardiac Sonographer so I take pictures of people's hearts all day. And in my biased opinion, they are the coolest organ ever. My question for the expert is about takotsubo cardiomyopathy or broken heart syndrome, how does extreme stress cause someone's heart to struggle to function? When I do their echo, it literally looks like a heart attack but they have a clean cath? What is the physiology of it? Another question is about artificial hearts, do you think it would ever be possible to completely 3D print a functional human heart to help those in need of a transplant?

Nick C_

FTQA- can my heart beat TOO MUCH? I’m on Beta Blockers to help manage my heart rate going off the scale when I’m exercising, and I know it’s a problem if it’s arhythmic (mine isn’t, thankfully!) but can the heart go too fast? Thanks! - Nick C

Addie Cappello she her

Ohhhh where to start with affairs of the heart… Can you talk a little about the correlation between emotions and actually manifesting those feelings physically in your chest? For instance when you feel like “you got punched in the chest” what’s actually happening in there? I recently learned about a condition called runners heart or athletes heart - where the heart is enlarged due to heightened athletic performance over a long period of time. Can you explain this phenomenon and how it works? Hummingbird hearts- sustained on literal sugar water yet human hearts would falter at this much sugar intake. How do their little hearts do it!? Anxiety: are hearts pounding/racing preparing you for the fight or flight? If that’s the case why can anxiety also freeze you? This seems counterproductive. Super extra bonus question: how do ex-boyfriends survive when they have no hearts? Seems like a medical miracle we might want to throw some research at for the greater good. Thanks!!!!

Jeanette-o-saur

So, I had a case of myocarditis last year with no known cause. Very scary and not fun, do not recommend. One of the first cardiologists I saw thought it might be SCAD (perimenopausal, high intensity sports, recent high stress life changes, yadda yadda) but it was not. The MRI showed the teeniest tiniest spot of inflammation on the outer corner of my heart that they only called it 'possible myocarditis.' Over a year later I'm still working my way back to my normal. How the heck can something almost too small to be seen cause such a ruckus?! Are hearts just extra fragile or does it take a LOT to cause noticeable inflammation? Aside from the shock that anything could possibly be wrong with my lovely beefsteak of a heart, the thing that floored me the most was that 50% of myocarditis cases have no known cause. What gives? I honestly thought we had heart health reasonably figured out, but clearly that is false. What do we actually know and not know when it comes to heart health and heart 'ouchies'?

Sarah Holloway

Can the flu attack your heart? When I was a kid, I heard about a woman who died from the flu attacking her heart and that was quite scary to hear as a 10 year old. I that's one of the reasons I get my flu shot every year 😂

Jeanette-o-saur

Resting heart rate. We know lower is generally better, but what is the natural variance within the reasonably healthy population? I have friends who've always had super low HRs and stays low, friends who've always have fairly high HRs and friends who's HR shoots super high with minimal exertion but they aren't out of breath. All of them do regular cardio and cardio-intensive sports. How much genetic variability is there in this? Does having a naturally high HR increase health risks, even for an active person? Or does being active still win the day?

Britney J.

Is ApoB a better indicator of cardiovascular disease risk than LDL?

Mini Minnie

Other than Mr. Rogers, what animal has the biggest heart?

Mini Minnie

We know what a real heart looks like, so why the ❤️ shape? Where did that come from?

Matt Hirschl

MAXIMUM HEART RATES: are they real? How do they change when aging? Should I care what mine is?

Myra Poundstone

I second this! I asked my partner this morning whether he had any questions about hearts, and he (very sleepily) said ‘where do the emotions live?’ 😂 why do we associate the heart with emotions?

Sarah Huss

What relationship do emotions have to the heart? Is there any communication between the heart and the emotional center in our brains?

Andrea Devlin

Can you please explain congestive heart failure?

Alyssa Ranker

How does deep breathing also slow heart rate?

Between Dumplings

Okay this may be my official coming out. I had a “widow-maker” (blockage in the LAD) several years ago. Non smoker, not obese, no known family history, healthy diet…the reason I’m sharing is that it’s so important for women to know our symptoms can be VERY different from the male heart attack onset. (The clutching pain in the heart, the radiating pain down the left arm) it’s very important for women to know the symptoms can be as varied as nausea (”oh it must be something I ate.” ) Or flu- like. Or something like acid reflux. I was relaxing in a bubble bath. How’d ya like them apples?!

Bennett Vanderbosch

What's a heart thing many people have and don't even know it?

Hannah Gorrie

Why do we typically not notice our heartbeats but when experiencing anxiety people have heart palpitations they can feel?

BeckytheSassySeagrassScientist

So conceptually I kinda get how a Dr can get to the heart via an artery (or vein, whatever) to thinker with stuff, but like HOW? Tiny nano cholesterol cleaning robots? Is it they way of the future? One day will there be no more need for open heart surgery?

Hannah Gorrie

What do we have yet to learn about hearts, heart health, or the cardiovascular system that you hope science discovers in your lifetime?

Hannah Gorrie

Why/how is the quickness of ones heartrate return to rest after exercise reflective of fitness?

Hannah Gorrie

How does external electricity regulate the heart, for example a pace maker or electrical resuscitation?

roni 💥

potential flimflam debunking question: i have heard that the reason people can’t typically (and rarely) grow taller than 7 feet is because after a certain point, the heart isn’t strong enough to effectively pump blood around the body the same way it would in an average sized person, subsequently causing it to deteriorate much faster. is this true/ a similar principle to what makes a great dane’s life expectancy so much shorter than most other dog breeds? or is it only for specific tall people (i.e. marfan syndrome) also why does my heart beat kinda funny after i eat too much food?

Hannah Gorrie

Are hearts similar or significantly different between mammals, birds, fish, and insects?

Hannah Gorrie

What changes in the heart go through as it ages?

Saoirse Patton

Is being fat really *that* bad for your heart health? I am overweight and I have a good diet, have an active job and try to exercise regularly, and my cholesterol/blood pressure etc are consistently perfect - is my body weight/composition still impacting negatively on my heart if I’m otherwise quite healthy? (FTQA!)

Doug Paice

I've got a bicuspid aortic valve, as did my mum, one of her sisters and my brother. My mum needed open heart surgery for her replacement, my aunt had hers 10 years later and it was key hole. What's coming for my brother and I? (Hopefully a few years away, we're 54 & 56) I'm hoping they'll be able to grow/print a new one out of my own cells and use that. Also, why can't they repair them? Divide the 2 that fused into 1?

zackever8

Why is heart disease so hereditary? For people who have high cholesterol, triglycerides, etc., how much does avoiding saturated fat & adding exercise really help you avoid or postpone the ravages of heart disease later in life?

zackever8

Have you listened to the Maintenance Phase podcast? They go into this topic quite a bit if you’re interested in a listen!

zackever8

Can you please talk about the heart’s relationship with electricity? Pacemakers, electrocution, ekgs… even recent studies on meditation and rhythmic synchronicity of the electrical signals between the heart & brain (Anurag, et al 2023). Do all organs have a relationship with electricity, or is it just the heart & brain?

Melanie Ang

FTQA Please ELI5 how high cholesterol affects heart disease. My husband has high cholesterol and he isn’t taking it very seriously 🙄

Saoirse Patton

I haven’t! Thanks for the recommendation! ☺️

Naomi Jane

If all the (physically inactive) men in my family had heart disease, how worried should I be as a (physically active but chunky) woman? Worried enough to stop putting cream in my coffee? 😬😞

Naomi Jane

What is the absolute best thing you can change/do in your daily life to take care of your heart?

Iris Clover

Can you actually die of a broken heart? If so, what exactly happens to your heart?

Biscuits and Gravy

What's up with robot hearts? If you get one, can you like, live forever?

Keiki Kohne

First time question asker!! Why do we only have one heart? Would a backup heart, like a second kidney, have been evolutionarily beneficial?

Keiki Kohne

If emotions like love and fear have such strong effects on the heart, do you think future medicine could "train" the heart to be more resilient to emotional stress?

princenocturnal

I heard some animals have a lymphatic heart. What is up with that? What does it do? And why?

lizonthelake

FTQA! CPR: what’s something you wish more people knew about when to do it, how, etc? Just got CPR certified while pregnant to learn infant CPR, and keep thinking about what I learned, how it looks on TV, and how it’s taught. (Why don’t we regularly teach this stuff, like, when people get a driver’s license? And, more CPR dummies with breasts please!!! Also more CPR training visuals depicting different size and shape bodies, including pregnant ones! I could go on…)

Mini Minnie

What is the difference between a heart attack and heart failure?

Mini Minnie

It’s my understanding that pacemakers regulate your heart to the same rhythm/speed all the time. If that’s accurate, are there any updates in the works so it can adjust for something like beating a bit stronger for going up stairs, or slowing down for sleep? My mom had a pacemaker and had to go up stairs very slowly, and/or stop and wait after a few stairs before continuing.

Ben Kmo

CHF/LVAD nurse here! I ❤️ Cardiolgy!

Hope

my dad had a heart attack when i was in middle school, they said it was likely because he was prone to plaque buildup and was training for ironman triathlons at the time so had so much blood flow it was enough to move all his plaque to cause a blockage. how often does that happen? what is it that makes you prone to plaque build up and how often does that actually result in heart disease or heart attack?

Adam Foote

I have generalized anxiety and even with exercise and medication my heart beats faster than most. Important note: my doctors are certain it's within acceptable range for my age. So, how do other health concerns, especially mental health, affect the heart? And should I be worried? I mean, anxiety disorder, so I'm going to worry anyway, but I don't need to, right?

VibesandMoods

People are always claiming certain exercises are good for your heart health, any common flim flam moves or absolutely proven types?

Rachael Mae

Yeah! How does mourning/grief impact heart health?

Kim Bonacker

Can you talk about the protein Titin and how it relates to heart function/how it contributes to heart issues? I did my undergraduate research on titin, but only ever worked with skeletal titin and have become more interested in cardiac titin after my mom was recently diagnosed with heart failure and titinopathies were mentioned as a possible cause. Thanks, I hope I get to hear you geek out about my favorite protein!!

Alyssa Ranker

Hubby wants to know: what are the most common genetic abnormalities/defects? What, if anything can be done for those affected?

Mimz

Why do some women have heart issues related to hormones? How do hormones affect heart health? My Mom had a heart attack 3 years ago at 70 with no warning. Healthy as a horse, takes no meds, and the doctor told her it was likely related to hormones. How can it prevented?

Mimz

Do certain supplements really help protect your heart? I'm talking garlic, omega 3's, nattokinase, coQ10, lecithin, red yeast rice...there seem to be so many but do they really do anything?

Jessica Suri

Can you ask about heart blocks? What causes them? My mom had a third degree heart block a year ago which she only discovered because a dog bit her and she went to urgent care. When taking her vitals she barely had a pulse and super low heart rate. She now has a pacemaker and is fully dependent on it. Not a FTQA, but never heard my name :)

Maureen Flood

OMG LVADs are amazing. What a cool technology! I hope he talks about that!

HazHydro

I always ask my med providers what brought them to their particular field. (My dad was an internist until his father died from a heart attack while visiting. He became a cardiologist, started the first coronary care unit in the SouthEast, and in the 1970s, even created a school for coronary care nursing. He was a shit father, but clearly he had a different set of gifts for the world, and that helps.)

HazHydro

Congestive heart failure? (We are rehabbing an abandoned pooch with advanced heartworm and an enlarged heart. His congestive heart failure meds run upwards of $200/month.)

HazHydro

I've switched to Nutpods, which does *not* make my coffee taste weird (aka soy, almonds, etc)

Lacey Abbott

I have Atrial fibrillation. My doctor told me that most people can't feel it but I can and it scares me and drives me nuts. Is there ever a scenario where it can be actually dangerous? Is it something that could go away?

HazHydro

I second the cholesterol question!

Mercedes Tarasovich

What relationship, if any, is there between covid and the emergence or advancement of cardiovascular conditions?

Naomi Jane

Ooh, what's that? Like sweetener or something? I'm in the UK so it may not have made its way across yet!

Erin White

We the sadtypes would love to know: Why do I feel my heart (or at least the area around it) when I experience extreme emotional distress? I'm not imaging the physical pain that comes with sorrow, but not sure that it is actually my heart.

Reese Perini

(FTQA) I remember learning in a philosophy class that people originally thought our minds were in our hearts. Any thoughts or truth about this?

Amanda Figueroa

FTQA here! What are the most common diseases/disorders of the heart, and how do you look out for them (like warning signs)? What kind of testing can be done and how does it work/what are they looking for? Anything that can be done for prevention?

Pamela

FTQA here! I’m a therapist, and many of my clients have heart issues - what is the pituitary adrenal heart connection and can it explain how long term stress leads to cardiac weirdness?

Bonnie M Rutherford

Would you explain heart rate variability and why something my Fitbit keeps track of?

Bonnie M Rutherford

Follow up question on heart rate variability. What is the ideal range for someone in their 70s?

Una T

Physiologically why do different people have different maximum heart rates and heart rate 'zones' that are often discussed in the context of endurance sports? What are the physiological differences between people who are very good at/well trained endurance athletes and people who don't do those kinds of sports regularly?

Mckaylia Marshall

Are there any organisms that operate without a heart or with multiple hearts?

Yuri

Are there really similar cells to brains and guts in the heart?

Elias

Could you explain the mechanism through which breathing is related to the heart rate and hrv? I know breathing slow slows down the hr, breathing fast speeds it up, and on the in breath the hr is faster than on the out breath (which I think is hrv). But how does it work? And why do I sometimes feel like I'm breathing slowly, but the heart is still fast?

Elias

Why does my heart beat faster when I'm ill? Does that help with the healing?

Brittany Shafis

Someone I love was born prematurely and had a hole in their heart. Do you have an idea of why that happened?

Kently

Hi! FTQA here! 👋 I was hoping you could discuss some of the less common symptoms of heart attacks, especially for women. I’ve heard about the pain in your left breast and/or arm, but those seem more common than not. Are there any unique or seemingly unusual symptoms that women should know about, but often don’t? Thank you!

Kieran H

Let’s talk heart surgery! How and why did we figure out that you can use cow and pig heart valves for human heart valve replacement?! My mom just had her aortic valve replaced last August and she now has a piece of cow in her.

Kieran H

When it comes to heart disease, can it be reversed? If you have clogged arteries can you take a metaphorical plunger (diet, exercise, etc) and unclog them?

Kieran H

Why does a heart healthy diet include less salt? What effect does salt have on the heart?

Ginja Ninja LB

Is an elevated resting heart rate a bad thing? I know a low heart rate can sometimes be normal for long time runners/athletes, but does that mean a higher heart rate [75-95 bpm) is indicative of underlying issues or bad heart health?

Brenna Pixley

Are my adhd meds going to heart my heart in the long run?

Deji Odetoyinbo

FTQA here! What is currently considered "normal" blood pressure? Have these figures been lowered significantly over the years? What's your interviewee's opinion about the suspicion that the manufacturers of blood pressure-lowering medications have influenced the medical establishment to - with questionable justification - lower these values and thereby increase the proportion of the population who are classified as hypertensive?

Isabella Bartleson

FTQA! We talk a lot about how proper nutrition can support heart health; but how can under nutrition/malnutrition affect your heart?

ValBeListening

If I think about it long enough it kind of freaks me out that our heart is constantly beating. Like it never gets a break. Why do hearts just stop sometimes?

ValBeListening

Are compression socks good for your heart? (Thinking of blood flow)

ValBeListening

Is meditation good for your heart? I'm curious if concious breathing postively impacts your heart rate?

Saira (‘Sarah’) Manns

Fact or flim flam: the ring finger on the left hand is traditionally where a wedding ring is placed coz they used to think it had a vein/artery connected directly to the heart? 💍 ❤️ 🤔

RoadLesTravelled

What's the deal with enlarged ascending aorta? How enlarged is considered dangerous? (I am aware of the risks involved and am taking prescribed Metoprolo Succinate.) Asking for myself, as I am close to my heart.

Mattea Orr

What are heart palpitations and why do they occur? And why do they seem to always make me anxious?

Colin Rowbottom

Athletes tend to have high heart rates when exerting themselves and low resting heart rates. What causes them to have low resting heart rates compared to the average joe? Is having such a wide range of heart beats a bad thing?

Olivier Calas

I know heart murmurs are not a big concern, at least that’s what general physicians usually say, but do they actually signal ? Can you have one and spend an entire life without ever having a cardiac issue?

Isabella Bartleson

POTS is seemingly becoming more and more common; why do you think that is? Has it always been this common and is just be recognized more? Is it being misdiagnosed? Or are more people just developing POTS? (And if so, why?)

Kently

I was going to ask the same thing!

Ian Mitchell

FTQA I am hoping that this expert can correct some of the misinformation in the Burnout episode regarding hypertension. 2024 AHA guidelines really break it down to two situations. Either your high blood pressure is causing organ damage (confusion, angina, kidney failure) and you need immediate intravenous therapy, or you just have asymptomatic (headache isn't one of the signs) hypertension and can be seen as an outpatient. The second describes most patients who present to the emergency department because of fears drummed in to them by pharmacists and other well meaning health care professionals. Given the expense and lack of access to health care for many, encouraging an emergency room visit for a non-urgent problem is not helpful. I have learned so much from this show with things that have helped me personally and professionally, I just hope you can accept a plea from an overburdened emergentologist. Thank you, Ian Mitchell, MD, CM, FRCP Associate Clinical Professor, UBC

Clemens V

Is there anything bad when the hearts pumping gets replaced with a continuous pump -> because of missing puls? (I figure there is a lot of things going on if there is need for placing a pump, but I always wondered how important having a pulse itself is)

Stephanie Spencer

FTQA I wanted to ask what the deal is with SGLT2 inhibitors and heart failure ? any inclination on why they reduce mortality so much in these patients ?

Colby Evans

I work for Edwards Lifesciences… is it one of ours?

Annmarie Everhart

Any truth to the idea that each organism has about one billion heartbeats in its lifetime and lifespans depend on how fast or slow the heart beats?

Anthony Richards

What's the best kind of training regiment to strengthen one's heart?

Dave

FTQA: Some background, I'm currently dealing with pericarditis so I suddenly have first hand experience with some of the symptoms also commonly associated with a heart attack. Why do these symptoms spread so far from the heart itself? We're taught to watch for left sided chest pain or irregular heart beat, which makes sense, but the classic radiating left arm pain, or a crushing /squeezing sensation across the entire chest seems less intuitive. I'm baffled by the physiology behind the lining of my heart getting a bit inflamed, and causing a sensation of breathing with a fifty pound weight on my chest, but only when I'm sitting upright, or the sensation of a lump in my throat.

Ry_ofthetiger

Are ADHD meds (i.e. stimulants) bad for your heart?

Ry_ofthetiger

*Woo woo* alert: does the heart produce any kind of electric field? The constant pumping as a result of recurring neurological signals seem to maybe point to yes—the same way an air conditioner would. And speaking of neurons: is it possible that there is any truth to the heart playing a role in our emotions, thoughts, and intuitions?

Deji Odetoyinbo

Thank you. The McGill article was illuminating.

Shante

Can you talk a little about the relationship between cholesterol and heart health? What's up with good vs bad cholesterol, or cholesterol in your blood verses calcified cholesterol?

madamepancake

FTQA - why does meditation increase some people’s heart rate but decrease other people’s?

Staci Pinkowitz

Can you talk about A-Fibb? My grandma has it and it seems pretty treatable/managable, but what are the root causes and what can be done to mitigate it?

Staci Pinkowitz

Or if I look at my dog and feel like my chest is exploding with love

Staci Pinkowitz

Am I gonna live to be 500 because I eat oatmeal with flax seed meal every day

Staci Pinkowitz

My grandma has this and can feel it too!!

Staci Pinkowitz

Ok got another one for ya. Is there a connection between our very human adoration for music and heartbeats? Is everyone vibing to drum and bass at the rave truly yearning for the comfort of the womb?

Organic Free-Range Lily

1. Will we ever be able to 3D-print or clone hearts for transplants? It sounds like science fiction, sure, but we live in a strange world. 🙃 2. What animal has the most unusual hearf? 3. What do you do if you think you're having a heart attack but you're by yourself, indoors, and can't reach the phone?

GhoulNextDoor

What does “staying active” mean regarding heart health? Does heart rate need to reach a certain threshold to be sufficient exercise? I imagine is it different for everyone but the recommendation I’ve heard for going on a 20-30 min walk a day seems a little vague. What kind of walk? Up hill? A slow stroll, or a power walk?

Mark Hewlette

Is it the case that certain diseases have the potential to cause damage to the heart? What diseases do this and can the damage be avoided? I was told my father died from damage done by childhood scarlet fever. Thank you for being here with Alie!

Meeps

I was born with a pretty significant congenital heart defect, a VSD, that required a few open heart surgeries. It seems like the technology has improved significantly since then (the 90s). It seems like we can do some pretty wild things laparoscopically- how has this affected survival rates among infants?

Dawnaechello

What's up with mitral valve prolapse? Is this a real thing or not?

Osteofact

Can you talk about broken heart syndrome?

Osteofact

Sometimes I experience a sudden quick sharp pain in my chest (or my heart?) and I just recently found out that some of my friends experience the same pain. I never gave it much thought, is this something a lot of people experience, is this “normal”?

Osteofact

Can it be dangerous if your heart palpitates and races because of Hashimoto’s disease?

Jacklyn Costa

How did we figure out to use defibrillators? Like hey my friend just died can anyone shock the hell out em? First time question asker, excited to be here!

Ian Mitchell

Fascinating history. I was born in Northern Ireland, where the first portable defibrillator was invented and brough out to people beyond the hospital. Northern Ireland had one of the highest rates of heart attack in the West due to their diet of cigarettes, bacon and whiskey. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10082664/

Osteofact

This is exactly it, thanks for the article! It's funny that it's so common but I've never heard of it before and only recently learned that others experience this too.

Molly H

How does a heart start beating in utero? What makes heart muscle beat but not other muscle? What makes a heart keep beating for an entire lifetime?

Molly H

Is there anything to the saying that people with "big hearts" are more kind and generous than other people? Do animals across taxa have roughly the same number of heartbeats in an average lifetime--Say a shrew and a tortoise?

Figment

dang it! i've been wanting to ask you to do an episode with my cousin at the mayo clinic in mn, mike ackerman. he's a cardiologist. he's the one who discovered long qt syndrome. is your guest familiar with him and his work? i'd love to hear your guests explanation of long qt and how and why it happens. can it be treated? is it genetic?

Figment

how long can a heart exist outside a body while it waits to be transplanted? how is it stored? does it need blood in it for transport? does it get "washed, cleaned, rinsed" first?

Figment

i think i've heard the heart beats because of electric signals from the brain. can a heart keep beating and remain healthy or last longer outside a body if it's connected to a power source to keep it beating?

Jennifer Grogan

THIS THIS THIS, please answer this! I've had PVCs on and off since I was in my mid-twenties (and for a while it was misdiagnosed as AFib, which... the less said the better about that whole fiasco), and I'd really love to hear about a) how PVCs are caused, b) whether they're preventable, and also c) whether there's anything people who have had them frequently should watch out for and/or do to prevent potential related issues down the road. (FWIW, my cardiologist says they're benign and not a concern, but I still find it kind of worrying every time I have them.)

Jennifer Grogan

Seconding the question about whether or not it's true that animals generally have the same average number of heartbeats across a lifetime. Someone told me that as a teen when an animal we both knew died (like, that mice and blue whales have the same number of heartbeats in a life, the mouse's heart just beats much faster and the whale much slower), and it was really comforting, but as an adult I wonder how accurate it is or if it's just a nice thought that doesn't really hold up.

GhoulNextDoor

If someone was exposed for a long time in their life to heart damaging factors such as low activity, high cholesterol diet, substance use, etc. can heart health be restored? I’ve heard a lot about plaque in the arteries, would that go away?

Jennifer Grogan

Can you talk please about the very different symptoms of heart attack in women than men, why this is (like, wtf?!) and how women can distinguish heart attack from, say, a bout of anxiety and a backache? This terrifies me because I have anxiety, which then makes my anxiety worse. :(

Figment

a friend from my church, male, 28, physically healthy rock climber, but with a bad heart, got a transplant and has been great for the last few years. i didn't know though, that a heart only lasts 10 years or so, then he'll need another? how accurate is that? why doesn't it last the rest of his life?

Darren Bush

I know hearts are amazing, move hundreds of gallons a day, work hard for decades and all that, BUT it seems like there is a lack of redundancy for an organ that is so vital. Two kidneys, two lungs, two of a lot of things. So why not two hearts, or at least a small backup unit? My cardiologist asked me how many chambers the heart has. I said four. He said no. "There's one chamber, the left ventricle; the rest is plumbing." I had a full-blockage widowmaker (great name), and survived because I am in good shape and got to the ED in 8 minutes. The event happened while I was working out. Glad to be alive.

Ryan Marlow

Is it true that a given heart has a fixed number of beats in it before it gives out?

Ryan Marlow

Why do people's arms hurt when they have a heart attack?

Sunflower star

I had a super weird experience a handful of years ago after an intense long run - just sitting on the couch, it felt like someone gently squeezing my left elbow and up my arm into my neck. Aside from being totally freaked out, and anxiety, no other symptoms and I was fine. I assumed this was one of those weird symptoms women might experience for a heart attack and my heart just had a little blip as it recovered!???

Between Dumplings

Have they started actually including women and our complicated hormones in cardiac research yet?

Aazam

My partner, Ollie, wants to know: how does the sinus node work and how did we get there? It blows my mind that we have a little clock in our body that shocks the four bags of blood in the right order for humanity to exist. My question is: is the heart actually on the left side of the body? If so, why is it not in the middle to keep everything symmetrical like the rest of the body?

Cassidy Weber

I’m curious about “broken heart syndrome.” My great grandfather, perfectly healthy, passed away just a week after my great grandmother. They were married for 60 years. Family said he “died of a broken heart.” Turns out there could be some validity to that??

Katie Biardi

I have a family history of heart disease on one side and heart failure on the other. Is there anything I can do to avoid both of these? Besides the standard exercise and healthy diet?

Earl of Greymalkin

1) Why is it that shape? How does the fluid dynamics work that it was optimized like this? How variable is the shape for different individuals? Different animals? How effective is CPR at generating pumping action versus a normal heartbeat? Does the maximum pressure generated drop significantly over the length of the circulation (first supplied organs get higher pressures and organs reached later get lower pressures)? 2) How does the separate nerve system thing work? Why have it's own circuitry? How does it keep time? How does it communicate with the CNS and other signals? 3) How many infectious diseases can replicate in heart tissue? How is the heart immune response different from other organs? How much inflammation can be tolerated? How much of heart damage after infections is direct impact of the microbe versus molecular mimicry and autoimmunity against self that looks like that pathogen that just infected you? 4) How much damage and what kind can be tolerated and have a heart that still basically works? 5) If it's so important, why don't we have two, like kidneys? Are Time Lords better designed than us? What other Earth animals have more than one heart or alternative systems? 6) How do you even do a heart transplant and get the blood vessels to link up and not leak? Are you gluing it together??? 7) Is the thymus still thrown out by heart surgeons? 8) What is happening that when athletes end up with significantly lower heart rates overall? Is the heart changing or is it every other organ that is changing? 9) What does heart health even mean? What metrics are important? What happens as you age? 10) How does the blood supply to the heart tissue work? Does it immediately receive high pressure supply from the heart's output or is it receiving supply from later on in the circulatory loop? 11) I once got freeze dried chicken hearts as treats for my cat and they were surprisingly greasy. Is heart meat particularly oily? 12) Does heart pain mainfest as referred pain that feels like a different location? How do you tell if the issue is actually your heart versus something like acid reflux in the esophagus?

John Stetler

I never got to meet my father or his father however I have found out that both of them had heart failure in their early 50s. From what I have heard from my father's side of the family neither of them were alcoholics or drug addicts. What do you think could have attributed to them both passing so early? I worry I too may have issues around 50 if i inherited any of their genetic predispositions.

Kate Finnefrock

FTQA here- my question is about prevention. Is getting my BP and Cholesterol checked actually enough to know if I have a heart issue? I feel like most people I know who’ve had heart attacks were healthy and thought everything was fine- is there some check we ought to be doing?

Between Dumplings

How in the world did nitroglycerin get identified as something could arrest angina? “Here ya go, lady .usually we blow things up with this but maybe it’ll stop your chest pains!” Wtf?

Between Dumplings

Taktsubo cardiomyopathy! It’s a thing - Japanese name for broken heart.

Jeffrey Mosher

Does absinthe really make our hearts grow fonder? Sorry, absence. Does that do it as well? Sometimes my heartstrings are plucked so great my chest is an insufficient cage.

Ron

Salt, Salt, Salt. All we hear is cut back on sodium for better heart health. But why is sodium chloride bad for you? What is the mechanism? Do people need to worry about the amount of salt in their diet when their blood pressure is low like mine (115/70)?

Keerat Singh

What are the current limiting factors for research into hearts and heart health? Is there something where certain research tools could be improved or made more available?

Phyllis Fulton

What is the ‘Widow Maker’! ? Is it inherited, genetic? Do women or men get it more often?

HollyT

FTQA! My hubby has a calcium score of 3042. Yes, you read that right. Subsequent echocardiogram and nuclear PET CT scan showed no abnormalities. Cholesterol under control thanks to Repatha and weight is not an issue. He’s never smoked. What is a calcium score and how reliable of a predictor is it?

CurtisDawg

Shout out to fellow runner-ologites! I've run a bunch of half-marathons and two full marathons. I run to keep my heart healthy. The 13.1 half-marathon distance seems like it's doing the job. But are there still any benefits while training for longer runs? Is marathon training fine or is that just getting excessive?

DeeDeeNoodle

I want to know more about POTS! I have learned about it mainly from our dearest thanatologist Cole Imperi as a sufferer of it but if I suspect I have it, potentially post Covid infections, what is the process when it’s not a heart issue that’s constantly occurring? How do we diagnose it?

Hannah Joy

Is a Lucas device more effective than conventional cpr?

Molly H

Is it normal for my heart to skip a beat sometimes? I notice this when I'm lying in bed listening to my heartbeat.

Molly H

In a book about near death experiences, I read that a heart transplant patient acquired traits of the donor such as taste in music and use of certain words and expressions. Is there any legitimacy to the idea that the heart is the physical repository for certain personality traits?

Molly H

I second the second question! I asked one about whether the heart stores certain personality traits that can be passed on to heart transplant patients.

Lee Wang

Can watching horror movies help me improve my cardio health?

Tired Toad

FTQA What's up with ghost hearts? Why would you decellularize a heart? Is it to make it easier to donate and if so why isn't done more?

aspen

FTQA yet longtime listener! why is your heart attached to your feelings? (ex: heart hurting when sad)

Keely Chavez

Very. I came here to request talk about this, Taktsubo Cardiomyopathy is "Octopus Trap", but yes, so real, so broken. Seen it in the emergency department more than a few times.

Keely Chavez

Oh and all the people who run a bit low on sodium, especially in their later years due to medicines depleting it. Tricky balance that is!

Keely Chavez

Let's talk about 1. Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy is my obsession having seen it IRL in the emergency room (RN) for years. 2. Cardiac cell automaticity is AMAZING. 3. The delicate electrolyte balance that we all play every day (and no, the cure isn't Gatorade).

Hayley Balzano

FTQA: My paternal grandpa had a heart attack at 37. My dad at 49. Both of my maternal grandparents had heart attacks and my mom did at 55. I am 37 and obese but I am trying so hard to be healthier. When I workout, is it dangerous for me to workout really hard? Am I screwed? Are there any tests I can do to see if I need treatments now? My BP now is healthy and my cholesterol is too. I did have pre-eclampsia though. I feel like I am just destined to have a heart attack any day now.

Caro Young

I have heard so much contradicting information in relation to heart health and hormone replacement therapy. Is it protective or is it increasing the risk of cardiovascular events?

Caro Young

I recently heard a story about pig hearts being transplanted into humans. Will that become a solution for those that need heart transplants?

Caro Young

Is it true that people can experience heart attacks from extreme emotions such as horror (during horror movies) or literal heartbreak?

AbbitoBurrito

FTQA: Cutie patootie humming birds' hearts beat so fast; why do they need to work that lil muscle so much?

Catherine Stow

FTQA: I’m a college runner and I track my max heart rate during hard training and racing. As a 21 year old female, my max recorded heart rate EVER is 176bpm. Do I have a big heart? Are the tubes going in and out bigger than normal? Is it just a diesel engine in there?

Liv Lundh

Is there any truth to the story that there are neuron type cells in the heart that allow it to think independently?

rowantree

can you talk about the relationship between the heart and fight or flight response and how anxiety relates to it? and/or are there any long term impacts on heart health from high anxiety? asking for a friend, of course.

Zinc

what’s the deal with us actually being able to die from a broken heart?

Zinc

when we talk about “heart health” what are we actually aiming to improve physiologically?

Trevor Spring

FTQA: What do we know about Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy/broken heart syndrome? Can that really be caused by grief? It feels true, I worked in elder care and hospice for a long and I’m almost I’ve seen people die of a broken heart when their spouse passes away.

Jessica Chance

My dad has had a couple of ablation procedures to treat his atrial fibrillation (AFib), but hasn't had great success. Are there any new treatments for these types of rhythm disorders on the horizon?

GhoulNextDoor

Coming in right at the deadline! But I just thought of this as I have my beloved evening Americano. Is caffeine potentially damaging to the heart without pre-existing conditions? I know it increases heart rate, does that put excess strain on the heart? Should I start seeking out more good decaf options?

McKenzie W

FTQA: Do literal "broken hearts" exist? I've heard anecdotes of folks experiencing chest pain and even life-threatening heart complications due to grief or other extreme emotions. Is there any scientific record or explanation for this?

beef

first time question asker here! how come POTS is diagnosed by a cardiologist when it's a dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system? and latching onto another question someone had about salt - i understand why extra salt is used as a treatment for POTS, but that totally contradicts general heart health advice. if i have POTS and regularly consume excess sodium to manage symptoms, could that put more strain on my heart and lead to heart disease later down the line? thank you!!

beef

oo i second this! when i take deep breaths my heart rate increases and i feel like it should have the opposite effect?

Raja

Hearts! I'd love to hear about how more than human animal hearts compare to human hearts! How do hearts of different species differ from each other? How are they the same? Any fun info you can share on wildlife physiology as it pertains to hearts? Raja rhymes with papaya.

Virginia Bruce

I had a successful ablation for my severe tachycardia. I'm still not quite sure how that works. Can your guest explain that?

Alli B

Why does my heart literally hurt when I hear an achingly beautiful song?

Alli B

Are any new treatments for congestive heart failure coming? Will we ever be able to reverse congestive heart failure?

Alli B

Have you personally seen evidence of adopting a whole food plant-based diet reversing heart disease?

Alli B

Any breakthroughs on the horizon for replacing damaged tissue after heart attacks?

Alli B

My mother in law had a silent heart attack. What is this and whyyyy aren’t we taught women’s symptoms of heart attacks? What are they? Why do more women not recognize or get help when they have heart attacks?

Charlotte Corden

FTQA here! me and my partner love ologies and have been listening for our ENTIRE relationship! my partner has a history of cardiac issues in his family and are being studied at a hospital in the UK! big health nerds over here with many a question! 1. wanted to know what the best indicator for cardiac health is in relation to V02 max, HRV (heart rate variability), etc. 2. is there any evidence that vitamin D supplements support improved V02 max?

JENN 'Benthopelagic squirrel' ALVAREZ

What's the link between gum disease and myocardial infarctions? Why do transesophogeal echocardiograms hurt so fucking much? Can you outgrow a heart murmur? Why is the heart associated with love?

Megan R

FTQA - I would love to know more about POTS and Dysautonomia, even though they are auto-immune disorders they have a lot to do with heart rate and blood pressure and I'm curious what this ologists perspective is on it.

Hayley Pingel

How is it that the heart stays in the same place? What keeps the heart where it is? Is it attached to other muscles? Why is slightly to the left? Aka why doesn’t my heart fall on top of the rest of my organs?

Dario

What kind of progress needs to be made to make artificial/synthetic hearts a reality?