I AM YOU

I AM YOU is hosted by Nitza I. Alvarez, MD, FACC — board-certified cardiologist, Women’s Heart Specialist, and bestselling author. Each episode shares real stories and expert insights that help women understand their unique heart health, navigate a healthcare system that too often dismisses them, and step fully into the role of CEO of their own health.

In this powerful episode, Dr. Alvarez sits down with Valerie Brackney, a vibrant, postmenopausal woman whose life was repeatedly disrupted by unexplained dizziness, blackouts, and dangerously low blood pressure. What began as leg swelling in her late 40s led to years of symptoms that were repeatedly minimized, misattributed, or brushed off as dehydration, heat, or “just menopause.”

Valerie shares her frightening experiences of collapsing at work, falling down stairs, waking up in ambulances, and being hospitalized multiple times—only to leave without answers. Despite doing “everything right,” her body kept sending warning signals that something was wrong.

Through careful listening, persistence, and specialized cardiac care, Valerie was finally diagnosed with neurocardiogenic syncope, a disorder of the autonomic nervous system that affects blood pressure regulation and can cause sudden fainting—especially in women around and after menopause.

Together, Valerie and Dr. Alvarez unpack:

• Why women’s symptoms are so often dismissed
• How menopause and hormones can mask serious cardiovascular conditions
• What a tilt table test is—and why it was life-changing for Valerie
• The emotional toll of being told “you’re fine” when you know you’re not
• How finally having a diagnosis restores peace, confidence, and quality of life

This episode is a reminder that knowing your body is powerful, that answers matter, and that persistence can save your life. Valerie’s story is a call to every woman listening to trust herself, speak up, and demand care that truly listens.

Most importantly, it reinforces Dr. Alvarez’s mission: empowering every woman to become the CEO of her own health.

🎧 Listen.

💬 Share with the women you love.

💪 And join the movement to change how women experience heart health.

Visit NitzaMD.com

Follow @NitzaMD on Instagram and Facebook

I AM YOU is hosted by Nitza I. Alvarez, MD, FACC — board-certified cardiologist, Women’s Heart Specialist, and bestselling author. Each episode blends real women’s stories with powerful science to help women understand their bodies, manage stress, and become the CEO of their own health.

In this episode, Dr. Alvarez reveals how falling estrogen levels change the inner lining of a woman’s arteries — making vessels stiffer, inflammation higher, and stroke risk more likely around perimenopause and menopause. She explains why a woman with new headaches, dizziness, or sudden weakness can be dismissed as “just stressed,” and why up to 80% of strokes are preventable with the right testing and lifestyle habits.

You will learn:

• Why women experience strokes earlier than expected
• How hormone shifts affect brain blood flow and cognitive clarity
• The myths that keep women from recognizing early warning signs
• The essential diagnostic studies every woman should request after a confirmed stroke (TEE, rhythm monitoring, vascular imaging, and more)
• The role of sleep, movement, nutrition, and hormone evaluation in lifelong prevention

This episode is a compassionate reminder that women deserve answers, not dismissal — and that prevention is not fear, but power. Knowing your numbers, honoring your symptoms, and asking for complete evaluation can save your life or the life of someone you love.

Because the best stroke is the one that never happens — and every woman deserves to step into her role as the CEO of her own health.

Visit NitzaMD.com

Follow @NitzaMD on Instagram & Facebook

I AM YOU is hosted by Nitza I. Alvarez, MD, FACC — board-certified cardiologist, Women’s Heart Specialist, and bestselling author. Each episode shares real stories and expert insights that help women better understand their heart health, manage stress, and take charge of their well-being. Dr. Alvarez’s mission is simple: to inspire every woman to become the CEO of her own health—with knowledge, confidence, and community.

In this episode, Dr. Alvarez sits down with Maureen Uriarte, a devoted wife and full-time caregiver whose story reflects the emotional load carried by countless women. For nearly three decades, Maureen has cared for her husband Steve through significant health challenges - yet she made a powerful, life-changing decision: to take care of herself, too.

Maureen opens up about the guilt, emotional exhaustion, and constant self-sacrifice that caregivers quietly endure. She explains the moment she realized that putting herself last was hurting both her and her husband - and how choosing to prioritize her own health became an act of love, not selfishness.

Dr. Alvarez and Maureen explore:

•Why women feel guilty prioritizing themselves

•How caregiver stress silently harms the body

•Small, realistic ways to “recharge” even when you can’t leave home

•How to communicate your needs without making loved ones feel like a burden

•Why caregivers must speak up, schedule their own checkups, and advocate for their emotional and physical well-being

This episode serves as a heartfelt reminder: you cannot pour from an empty cup. Caring for yourself is not only essential - it is a responsibility to the people who depend on you. Maureen’s honesty, humor, and strength will inspire every listener to pause, reflect, and take the first step toward becoming the CEO of their own health, no matter how much they give to others.

I AM YOU is hosted by Nitza I. Alvarez, MD, FACC — board-certified cardiologist, Women’s Heart Specialist, and bestselling author. Every episode gives women the knowledge and confidence to become the CEO of their own health.

Part 2 — Beyond the Story: The Science Every Woman Must Know

Last week we met Elena — a young woman whose stroke was nearly dismissed as stress.

Today, Dr. Alvarez explains why stroke happens, how hormones and menopause change brain blood flow, and why women face higher risk — yet often get misdiagnosed.

In the U.S., 60% of stroke deaths occur in women. Most research? Done on men.  

That must change.

The Myths That Put Women in Danger

Dr. Alvarez exposes the myths that delay diagnosis:

• “It only happens to the elderly”
• “If symptoms disappear, it’s nothing”
• “Hormones don’t affect stroke risk”

Up to 80% of strokes are preventable with the right evaluation — but only if women know what to ask for.

Essential Tests to Request

Once a stroke is confirmed, women must ask: Why did it happen?

The episode breaks down the minimum evaluation every woman deserves:

• Transesophageal Echo (TEE)
• Rhythm monitoring or loop recorder
• CT/MR angiogram — head & neck
• Hormone & inflammation screening

Because “unknown” should never mean “unsolved.”  

How to Protect Your Future Self

Dr. Alvarez shares 5 practical strategies to protect the brain and heart — through movement, nutrition, sleep, hormone awareness, and preventive health checks.

True prevention is power. And it starts when you become the CEO of your own health.

Listen. Share. Advocate.

Visit NitzaMD.com

Follow @NitzaMD on Instagram & Facebook

I AM YOU is hosted by Nitza I. Alvarez, MD, FACC — board-certified cardiologist, Women’s Heart Specialist, and bestselling author. Each episode shares real stories and expert insights that help women understand their unique heart health, manage stress, protect their brains, and take charge of their well-being. Dr. Alvarez’s mission is simple: to inspire every woman to become the CEO of her own health — with knowledge, confidence, and community.

In this episode, Dr. Alvarez introduces Elena — a 40-year-old teacher and mother of two who brushed off subtle neurological symptoms… until she was rushed to the ER with a stroke. Her story isn’t rare — and it’s happening to younger women every year.

With clarity and compassion, Dr. Alvarez explains:

• Why stroke is not just a disease of the elderly
• The two types of stroke — and why ischemic strokes make up 90% of cases
• How perimenopause and hormonal shifts quietly change brain circulation
• The 20% drop in cerebral blood flow during menopause — years before symptoms appear
• The two groups of women at twice the risk — and why they must act early
• The traditional and non-traditional risk factors every woman should screen for
• How stress is sometimes not “just stress”… but your brain whispering for help

This episode is a wake-up call — a reminder that symptoms don’t always scream. Sometimes, they whisper. And understanding those whispers might be the difference between recovery… and disability.

Above all, this is a call for every woman to become the CEO of her own health — protecting both her heart and her brain with science, self-awareness, and early action.

Don’t miss Part 2, where Dr. Alvarez dives into the tests, myths, and essential evaluations every woman should know if stroke — or mini-stroke — is ever suspected.

Listen in. Share it. And help change how women experience heart and brain health.

Visit NitzaMD.com

Follow @NitzaMD on Instagram and Facebook

I AM YOU is hosted by Nitza I. Alvarez, MD, FACC—board-certified cardiologist, Women’s Heart Specialist, and bestselling author. Each episode shares real women’s stories and expert insights that help women understand their unique heart health, navigate a healthcare system that often overlooks them, and take charge of their well-being. Dr. Alvarez’s mission is clear: to inspire every woman to become the CEO of her own health—with knowledge, confidence, and community.

In this episode, Dr. Alvarez sits down with Barbara Filipiak, a woman who spent years fighting for answers in a medical system that repeatedly dismissed her pain. Barbara’s journey began in 2017, when she woke in the middle of the night with symptoms that felt exactly like a heart attack—neck pressure, chest pain, radiating discomfort into her jaw and ear. But like so many women, she pushed her health aside to show up for her family, hoping the symptoms would simply pass.

What followed was a long and frustrating search for answers. Even after undergoing a heart catheterization that showed only mild blockages, Barbara continued to suffer frightening episodes that no one seemed able—or willing—to explain. She was told her symptoms were “too vague.” She was told “everything looks normal.” She was even told it might be indigestion, despite never having a single GI symptom in her life.

Yet Barbara knew something was wrong. She lived in her body, and she trusted her instincts—even when the system didn’t.

Her persistence eventually led her to Dr. Alvarez, who recognized that Barbara’s symptoms could be rooted in microvascular disease, esophageal spasms, or both—conditions that often go undiagnosed, especially in women. With the right guidance, proper referrals, and a willingness to keep searching for the truth, Barbara finally began a path toward clarity.

Barbara’s story is a powerful reminder that women experience heart disease differently—and that a “normal” test does not mean nothing is wrong. It’s also a deeply emotional testament to self-advocacy, resilience, and refusing to settle for “we don’t know.”

This episode is for every woman who has ever felt unheard, dismissed, or misunderstood in her health journey. It reinforces the importance of listening to your body, seeking second opinions, and never giving up until you get the answers you deserve.

Most importantly, it’s a call for every woman to become the CEO of her own health—just as Barbara courageously did.

I AM YOU is hosted by Nitza I. Alvarez, MD, FACC — board-certified cardiologist, Women’s Heart Specialist, and bestselling author. Each episode shares real stories and expert insights that empower women to understand their unique heart health, manage stress, and take charge of their well-being. Dr. Alvarez’s mission is clear: to inspire every woman to become the CEO of her own health — with knowledge, confidence, and community.

In this episode, Dr. Alvarez breaks down a condition too many women face yet rarely hear about: open artery ischemia — when your heart symptoms are real, but traditional testing says everything is “normal.” With warmth, clarity, and urgency, she explains why women’s symptoms often look different from men’s, why so many women are dismissed or misdiagnosed, and how modern science is finally catching up to what women have been feeling all along.

From shortness of breath and unexplained fatigue to the “tight bra” sensation that can signal hidden angina, Dr. Alvarez guides listeners through the signs of open artery ischemia and the life-saving tests women deserve to request. She breaks down stress tests, PET scans, and angiograms in simple terms, and lays out exactly how to advocate for further evaluation when you’re told “everything looks fine” — even though your body says otherwise.

This episode is both empowering and eye-opening, reminding women that their symptoms are valid, their health matters, and they must never settle for vague answers. It’s a rallying call to trust yourself, insist on proper testing, and take your health into your own hands — just as every woman deserves to do.

Because when it comes to heart health, women aren’t little men — and your heart deserves to be seen, heard, and treated.

I AM YOU is hosted by Nitza I. Alvarez, MD, FACC — board-certified cardiologist, Women’s Heart Specialist, and bestselling author. Each episode shares real stories and expert insights that help women understand their unique heart health, manage stress, and take charge of their well-being. Dr. Alvarez’s mission is simple: to inspire every woman to become the CEO of her own health — with knowledge, confidence, and community.

In this episode, Dr. Alvarez speaks with Denise Quinn, a woman whose experience reveals one of the most overlooked realities in women’s heart health — that you can have a heart attack with clear arteries. Denise opens up about her diagnosis of MINOCA (Myocardial Infarction with Non-Obstructive Coronary Arteries), a condition that affects many women, especially after menopause, yet often goes unrecognized or untreated.

Her journey began with mild palpitations — nothing that seemed alarming — until one morning, she woke up with crushing chest pain and knew it was time to call 911. Though hospital tests showed “clean” arteries, her troponin levels told another story: there had been real damage to her heart. It was only through proper follow-up and education that Denise learned the truth about her condition — and how close she came to missing life-saving care.

Together, Dr. Alvarez and Denise explore how heart disease in women often looks different, why traditional tests like EKGs can miss the full picture, and how proactive evaluation and treatment can prevent tragedy. Denise’s story is a powerful reminder that listening to your body and asking the right questions can truly save your life.

This episode reinforces the importance of self-advocacy, preventive care, and partnership with healthcare providers who understand women’s unique needs. Most of all, it’s an empowering message for every woman: don’t wait for symptoms to get answers — become the CEO of your own health today.

I AM YOU is hosted by Nitza I. Alvarez, MD, FACC — board-certified cardiologist, Women’s Heart Specialist, and bestselling author. Each episode shares real stories and expert insights that help women understand their unique heart health, manage stress, and take charge of their well-being. Dr. Alvarez’s mission is simple: to inspire every woman to become the CEO of her own health—with knowledge, confidence, and community.

In this episode, Dr. Alvarez welcomes Laura Orozco, a resilient woman whose story sheds light on two serious and often misunderstood conditions: Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (also known as stress-induced heart disease) and transient ischemic attack (TIA), or mini stroke. Laura’s health journey began with what she thought was simply “good stress” from life’s joyful moments—only to be diagnosed with Takotsubo syndrome, a condition more common in women and triggered by emotional or physical stress.

Later, Laura experienced a sudden loss of control in her right arm—an event that led to a diagnosis of TIA. As her story unfolds, listeners learn about the critical importance of advocating for yourself in a complex healthcare system, the need for ongoing cardiological evaluation, and how hidden risks like AFib (atrial fibrillation) can go undetected without proper monitoring.

Laura’s narrative is raw, insightful, and empowering. She opens up about what it’s like to feel overlooked in medical care, how she decided to seek out a cardiologist who truly understands women’s heart health, and what it means to demand clarity, support, and personalized attention in a healthcare journey.

This episode reinforces the power of self-awareness, the underestimated impact of stress—even “happy” stress—and the need for women to listen to their bodies, set boundaries, and prioritize their health. Most importantly, it’s a call to action for every woman to become the CEO of her own health, just like Laura did.

I AM YOU is hosted by Nitza I. Alvarez, MD, FACC — board-certified cardiologist, Women’s Heart Specialist, and bestselling author. Each episode shares real stories and expert insights that help women understand their unique heart health, manage stress, and take charge of their well-being. Dr. Alvarez’s mission is simple: to inspire every woman to become the CEO of her own health—with knowledge, confidence, and community.

In this episode, Dr. Alvarez explains why she created this podcast—and why it’s urgently needed. Despite medical advances, women remain under-recognized, under-diagnosed, and under-treated when it comes to heart disease, which is still the #1 killer of women. Even more concerning: awareness of this fact has been declining over the past decade.

Dr. Alvarez breaks down how women’s hearts are different from men’s—and how that impacts the way symptoms appear, how diagnoses are made, and which treatments work best. She emphasizes that up to 80% of heart disease is preventable, and that women must learn to advocate for themselves, especially in a medical system that still often treats them like “little men.”

With clarity and compassion, Dr. Alvarez explains:

• Why heart disease is different for women
• How to communicate more effectively with your healthcare provider
• What tests and symptoms to ask about
• How to recognize and resist medical gaslighting
• And most importantly, how to become your own best advocate

This episode is a powerful call-to-action for every woman to step into her role as the CEO of her own health—armed with science, self-awareness, and the strength of a supportive community.

Listen in. Share it with the women you love. And join the movement to change how women experience heart health.

Visit NitzaMD.com

Follow @NitzaMD on Instagram and Facebook