New UHealth Doral Cardiology Program Welcomes Dr. Ralph Nader
Program services include subspecialities such as hypertension, electrophysiology, interventional cardiology and treatments for heart failure, plus a multitude of diagnostic imaging techniques.
UHealth’s cardiology program has expanded to UHealth Doral. The new practice will feature prominent cardiologist Ralph Nader, M.D., who has practiced in Miami for 35 years and will be one of the key practitioners in Doral.
Along with general cardiology, the clinic will focus on subspecialities such as hypertension, electrophysiology, interventional cardiology and treatments for heart failure. It will offer a multitude of diagnostic imaging techniques, from electrocardiograms and stress echocardiography to cardiac MRI, cardiac MRI and nuclear cardiology imaging like SPECT and PET.
“We are excited to be expanding to the west side of Miami-Dade. Doral is a community with a lot of diversity and a lot of need for top-class cardiovascular care,” said Yiannis Chatzizisis, M.D., Ph.D., professor and chief of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
Comprehensive Cardiology Care
Dr. Nader will join UHealth cardiac subspecialists Maria Delgado, M.D., founder and director of UHealth’s Comprehensive Hypertension Center, and David Weininger Cohen, M.D., a clinical cardiology and imaging specialist with experience in echocardiography, in Doral in September.
Dr. Nader directed the interventional cardiology fellowship training program at Mount Sinai Medical Center, where he trained more than 20 budding cardiologists. He was recognized in the book “Top Doctors in America” for almost 20 years running and earned the “SuperDoctor” title multiple years. He also was a founding partner of the Miami Center for Advanced Cardiology, which opened in 2008.
“Dr. Nader is a very established community physician and cardiologist with many years of successful practice in general cardiology, imaging and interventional cardiology,” said Dr. Chatzizisis. “We hired him to spearhead the growth and presence of cardiology in the exciting area of Doral. He brings the stature, the know-how, the skill set and the wisdom to help us grow this operation and offer first-class cardiovascular care to this community.”
From Interventional to Preventive and Nuclear Cardiology
Dr. Nader was one of the first cardiologists in Miami to be boarded in interventional cardiology in Miami, back in 1999. The evolution of the field led to Dr. Nader’s turn toward preventive cardiology.
“I think the future is in prevention, with AI and preventing heart attacks,” he said. “We’re not talking about blockages any more. We’re talking about coronary plaques and treating patients earlier. We should be working to make open-heart surgery unnecessary.”
Dr. Nader’s shift in focus did require him to evolve with the field, as well. He remembers a conversation in the early 1990s with his colleague, Dr. Arthur Agatston. The author of “The South Beach Diet,” a modified, low-carb diet aimed at helping users maintain a healthy weight and reduce hypertension, insisted on the importance of prevention. At that point, Dr. Nader touted the use of stents.
“He said, ‘Well, you’re going to be wrong and I’m going to be right.’ And it turns out that Dr. Agatston was right. He became very famous with the South Beach diet, and he’s still right,” Dr. Nader said.
Along with risk stratification like screening done by age, preventive cardiology focuses on cholesterol-lowering drugs like PCSK9 inhibitors. But the most innovative trend in preventive cardiology these days involves the use of AI for early detection of plaques. In coronary CAT scans, AI can identify if a plaque is the more dangerous, soft type. It can also measure the size of the artery to identify the proper stents. In PET scans, it provides more accurate quantification of blood flow.
“AI isn’t going to replace us. But it will make for better diagnosis,” said Dr. Nader.
Accurate Diagnoses and Less-Invasive Heart Care
Dr. Nader’s other main area of focus is nuclear cardiology, an effective means of diagnosing coronary blockages before patients get stents or have open-heart surgery. Advances in the field have allowed minimal radiation for the maximum benefit to the patient.
“Nuclear cardiology right now is evolving in a very unique space to allow us to make an accurate diagnosis and avoid invasive procedures,” Dr. Nader said.
Dr. Nader, who is fluent in English, Spanish, Haitian Creole and French, has built a solid following in Miami Beach and Aventura. He anticipates that many of his patients will follow him to his new practice in Doral.
There, he has his sights set, as always, on helping patients live longer, healthier lives.
“I want to bring my experience and skills to help the community stay healthy and try to prevent, as much as possible, cardiovascular complications like heart attack and stroke,” he said.
Tags: Comprehensive Hypertension Center, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Dr. David Weininger Cohen, Dr. Maria Delgado-Lelievre, Dr. Ralph Nader, heart care, heart failure, interventional cardiology, nuclear medicine, UHealth Doral