Sarah.theheartdoc

Sarah.theheartdoc Mum of 2, wife, heart doctor, enthusiastic optimist. Women in Cardiology Representative & founder of

When you come to clinic with a jugg more than half empty and you received emotional and physical resuscitation by your w...
17/11/2025

When you come to clinic with a jugg more than half empty and you received emotional and physical resuscitation by your wonderful colleague Melanie Ackrill with banana bread, coffee and proper huggggg 😘

I love this place University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust ❤️

14/11/2025

The biggest update to UK heart failure guidance in years is here. Are you ready for it?

Episode 43 of Beatwise The Podcast dives into the new NICE heart failure guidelines with consultant nurse and BSHF chair-elect Carys Barton - and what these changes actually mean for real-world clinical practice.

We cover early diagnosis, the expanded role of primary care, MDT-driven pathways, patient education, HFpEF therapies, and the practical barriers that still stand in the way of delivering guideline-based care.

Carys brings clear, grounded insight from the frontline and makes the updates feel both actionable and achievable.

If you’re involved in heart failure management in any capacity, this one is worth a listen.

🔗 Available on all platforms or comment PODCAST and I’ll send you the link!

📍 Follow .theheartdoc for more updates and discussions

13/11/2025

“Drink plenty” - but how much is plenty?

For most healthy adults, typical adequate total water intake (all drinks + water in food) is ~2 L/day for women and ~2.5 L/day for men. Listen to thirst, spread it through the day, and adjust for heat/exercise.

If you don’t have heart failure, follow this general advice.

If you do have heart failure, you don’t necessarily need strict fluid restriction unless there are specific issues (e.g., dilutional hyponatraemia, ongoing congestion).

Work with your heart-failure team to tailor things - including your medications, kidney function, sodium levels and weight trends.

“Drink plenty” doesn’t mean “chug water” - it’s about balance.



For more info:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng106
https://www.acc.org/Latest-in-Cardiology/Clinical-Trials/2025/03/27/17/26/

Page four is the connection most patients never make.I’ve had conversations with patients who had carpal tunnel surgery ...
11/11/2025

Page four is the connection most patients never make.

I’ve had conversations with patients who had carpal tunnel surgery five or ten years ago, and now they’re sitting in my heart failure clinic wondering why they’re so breathless. They think these are completely separate issues.

But here’s what we’re learning: cardiac amyloidosis often announces itself years earlier through carpal tunnel syndrome. The same abnormal proteins that eventually stiffen the heart can first deposit in the wrists, causing nerve compression.

When I see a heart failure patient with that history, it immediately changes my diagnostic approach. We need to think about amyloidosis - a condition that used to be untreatable but now has therapies that can genuinely change outcomes if we catch it early.

The UK is fortunate to have the National Amyloidosis Centre at the Royal Free Hospital, which has transformed how we diagnose and manage this condition. They work with hospitals nationwide to ensure patients get the right diagnosis and treatment.

I recorded an entire podcast episode with Dr Carol Whelan about recognizing amyloidosis early and building better pathways for patients. If you or someone you know has heart failure with unusual features, this episode is essential listening.

Search ‘Beatwise The Podcast’ wherever you listen or DM me PODCAST and I’ll send you the link!

07/11/2025

What if one of the most overlooked causes of heart failure is hiding in plain sight? 🫀

In this episode of Beatwise The Podcast, I’m joined by Dr. Carol Whelan to explore why early recognition of cardiac amyloidosis is vital and how redesigning our heart failure pathways could transform patient outcomes! .j.whelan

We discuss emerging treatments, multidisciplinary care models, and the leadership role of national societies in shaping the future of amyloidosis management.

🎙️ Listen to Episode #42: From Recognition to Redesign: The Future of Amyloidosis Pathways - now streaming on all major platforms.

Comment PODCAST and I’ll send you the link or search Beatwise The Podcast wherever you listen 🎧

Not every future doctor begins their journey with certainty.When I first met Felicity at our Widening Participation in C...
04/11/2025

Not every future doctor begins their journey with certainty.

When I first met Felicity at our Widening Participation in Cardiology Event in February 2024, she was unsure whether to pursue her dream of studying medicine. She had even been told it might be “too difficult.”

That day at the John Radcliffe Hospital, she stepped into a real healthcare setting, listened to doctors and researchers share their career journeys, and discovered what medicine could truly look like.

She also received personalised feedback on her personal statement draft - a practical step forward at a time of uncertainty.

The experience gave Felicity clarity and confidence. Afterwards, she went on to volunteer and complete work experience in the same hospital, further immersing herself in medicine.

Fast forward to today - Felicity has secured her place to study medicine at the University of St Andrews 🎓

In her own words: “I am grateful for the event and I hope it can continue to help others access what studying within the healthcare field can lead to.”

Felicity is one of three pupils from our programme now beginning medical school. Her journey is a reminder of the power of mentorship, representation, and widening participation.

You can read more about the event and its wider impact in our article published in the British Journal of Cardiology 👉
https://bjcardio.co.uk/2024/11/empowering-hearts-advancing-cardiovascular-research-for-womens-health/

Here’s to Felicity and the next generation of doctors 💙

My British Beach Wear   There have been times when doctors, particularly women doctors, have been criticized for their b...
31/10/2025

My British Beach Wear

There have been times when doctors, particularly women doctors, have been criticized for their beach wear. 
Remember July 2020, when a study published in the Journal of Vascular Surgery by a predominantly male team of researchers was widely condemned for labelling photos of female doctors in bikinis or swimwear on personal social media as “unprofessional”. 

What do you think of my British Beach Wear 🤣

https://www.forbes.com/sites/ninashapiro/2020/07/25/viral-medbikini-response-to-controversial-manuscript-leads-editor-to-retract-article/

30/10/2025

When Atrial Fibrillation and heart failure collide, the risks rise!

But what if recovery means we can rethink lifelong treatment? 🫀

In the latest episode of Beatwise The Podcast, I speak with Dr. Louise Segan about new research that could change how we manage heart failure for good.

Comment the word PODCAST and I’ll send you the link 🎙️

🚨Page seven is the most important one 🚨When I first read the WITHDRAW-AF trial results, it challenged everything I’d bee...
28/10/2025

🚨Page seven is the most important one 🚨

When I first read the WITHDRAW-AF trial results, it challenged everything I’d been taught about heart failure management. We’ve spent decades telling patients they’ll need these medications forever, and for most, that’s still true.

But for a specific subset of patients whose heart failure was triggered by atrial fibrillation, there’s now evidence that medication withdrawal might be safe once their rhythm is controlled and heart function recovers.

This doesn’t mean everyone should stop their medications. Far from it.

But it does mean we need to have more nuanced conversations with patients about whether their heart failure is truly permanent or potentially reversible.

I had the privilege of interviewing Dr. Louise Segan, who led this groundbreaking research, on my podcast. We recorded it in collaboration with the British Society for Heart Failure.

She walks through the trial design, the patient selection criteria, and what this means for clinical practice.

If you have both AF and heart failure, this episode is essential listening. Link in bio.

Have you been told you’ll need heart failure medications for life?

24/10/2025

💥 NEW EPISODE OUT NOW 💥

Episode #41: The Science That’s Changing How We Treat Heart Failure Forever

Can patients with heart failure actually recover heart function - and even come off some of their medication - when atrial fibrillation (AF) is treated effectively?

In this episode of Beatwise The Podcast, I sit down with leading cardiologist and researcher Dr. Louise Segan to unpack the groundbreaking Withdraw HF study, which explores just that.

We discuss:

1️⃣ How AF can drive heart failure and how restoring rhythm can reverse damage

2️⃣ What “AF-mediated cardiomyopathy” really means for patients

3️⃣ Whether treatment can one day be tailored or even scaled back

4️⃣ What this could mean for the future of heart failure care

This one challenges long-held assumptions and offers a glimpse into a more personalized approach to heart recovery.

Comment PODCAST and I’ll send you the link or search Beatwise The Podcast on all major platforms 🎙️

Follow .theheartdoc for more insights on heart failure, cardiology research, and the latest in cardiovascular medicine.

23/10/2025

Amyloidosis is often called the hidden disease because it can disguise itself as common conditions like heart failure, atrial fibrillation, neuropathy, or even carpal tunnel syndrome.

Too often, it goes undetected until it’s too late.

On Beatwise The Podcast, we’re shining a light on amyloidosis through three unique perspectives.

1️⃣Living with amyloidosis: Sam shares her journey from the first symptoms to diagnosis and finding hope in a clinical trial.

2️⃣Spotting the hidden signs: US expert Dr. Sarah Cuddy explains how amyloidosis hides behind familiar conditions and what clinicians can do to detect it earlier.

3️⃣Understanding cardiac amyloidosis: Professor Marianna Fontana from the National Amyloidosis Center explores diagnosis, treatment options, and the future of care.

These conversations highlight something powerful: patients aren’t just at the center of care, they are partners in research, influencing guidelines, and shaping the future of cardiology.

If you or someone you love is affected by amyloidosis - or if you’re passionate about women’s heart health and conditions that are too often overlooked - this series is for you.

Listen to Beatwise The Podcast on all major platforms 🎧

I’d love to hear your experiences - especially women’s stories with heart conditions 💬

Follow along at .theheartdoc for more conversations that matter.

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