Matters of the Heart

Matters of the Heart

Matters of the Heart was created to fill the void of conversational yet educational and rigorously scientific medical content. I'm your host, Dr. Rahul Muthalaly, an academic cardiologist in Melbourne, Australia. I interview masters in the cardiology field to explore the cutting edge of cardiovascul...

ESC Review - ALONE-AF and ODYSSEY-HCM
Matters of the Heart
ESC Review - ALONE-AF and ODYSSEY-HCM

Recent Episodes

Sept. 4, 2025

ESC Review - ALONE-AF and ODYSSEY-HCM

¡Hola listeners! Rahul has returned from the ESC meeting in Madrid full of beans and ready to burst about two interesting trials. Listen in for a short brief on the ALONE-AF trial examining anticoagulation withdrawal after AF ablation and the use of myosin inhibitors in HCM patients without obstruction. If you like the show, please leave a review - we would love to hear from you.
Aug. 28, 2025

The Arrhythmic Mitral Valve

Have you ever had a confused look on your face while someone waxes lyrical about the arrhythmic mitral valve complex? It's not the latest in the DSM-V. Join Rahul for a solo return episode where we run through what constitutes an arrhythmic mitral valve and what you can do about it.
May 6, 2024

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy with Dr. Andris Ellims

Thicken your knowledge about hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with Rahul as he interviews the superb Dr. Andris Ellims, head of the Alfred HCM clinic. This episode includes a brief update of HCM diagnosis and genetics before exploring contemporary management strategies for HCM. As you might be aware, mavacamten (a cardiac myosin inhibitor) has just been approved in Australia for the treatment of obstructive HCM. Now is a great time to get familiar with the data behind the drug and get some practical
April 11, 2024

Cardiogenic Shock & Temporary Mechanical Circulatory Support

Complete your knowledge around mechanical circulatory support (MCS) devices with this episode on Temporary MCS with Dr. Pankaj Jain from Sydney. This episode touches on cardiogenic shock before exploring the ins and outs of temporary MCS devices including the balloon pump, the impella devices and VA ECMO. DanGer Shock - a large RCT evaluating the Impella device - was released during the recording of this podcast so be sure to stick around for the discussion of DanGer Shock at the end of the pod
March 12, 2024

Mechanical Circulatory Support with Dr. Sriram Rao

Join Rahul and Dr. Sriram Rao as they plumb through the depths of mechanical circulatory support for advanced heart failure. Dr. Rao is the Director of Heart Failure at the Victorian Heart Hospital. He has a wealth of experience in ventricular assist devices and heart transplant, having just returned from the Hospital for the University of Pennsylvania and MedStar Washington Hospital in the USA. We cover the state of the art in ventricular assist devices and total artificial hearts, as well as
Feb. 27, 2024

Lipoprotein(a) with Prof. Stephen Nicholls

Join Rahul and Professor Stephen Nicholls as they pick apart the peculiarities of the Lp(a) particle. Steve wears many hats as a clinical trialist, lipidologist, leader of the Victorian Heart Institute and current president of the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand. In this podcast, we talk about the structure and function of Lp(a), the evidence supporting Lp(a) as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, how to approach testing for Lp(a) and finally how to manage someone with a high