I AM YOU

Dr Nitza Alvarez
  • 5.0 (11)
  • MEDICINE
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Dr Nitza Alvarez, a board-certified cardiologist and best-selling author, is sharing stories of women who speak up and become the CEO of their own health. For more information, visit NitzaMD.com

  1. I AM YOU – Ep. 54 – FAQ #2: Risk Factors

    3D AGO

    I AM YOU – Ep. 54 – FAQ #2: Risk Factors

    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 to help women protect the heart that carries them through every stage of life — and step into their power as the CEO of their own health. In this FAQ-style episode, Dr. Alvarez answers real questions submitted by patients and listeners, focusing on risk factors that affect women differently — and the overlooked health “chapters” that can quietly raise your cardiovascular risk.   With clarity and urgency, she breaks down: Menopause & perimenopause: why this transition can dramatically increase heart risk — and why it can feel like crossing a “portal” where risk spikes  Pregnancy complications: how preeclampsia/eclampsia and gestational diabetes can raise long-term cardiovascular risk — and why you should stay monitored even if things “normalize” after delivery  Hormone replacement therapy (HRT): does it help or hurt the heart, what the “timing hypothesis” means, and why early evaluation mattersAutoimmune disease & chronic inflammation: why inflammation acts like “fire in your arteries,” and how conditions like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis can increase cardiovascular risk  This episode is a direct call-to-action: don’t minimize your risk factors. Track your history, get evaluated, and advocate for yourself — because becoming the CEO of your own health starts with knowing what truly raises your risk and what to do next.   Visit NitzaMD.com   Follow @NitzaMD on Instagram and Facebook

    11 min
  2. I AM YOU – Ep. 53 – FAQ #1: Symptoms & Diagnosis

    JAN 21

    I AM YOU – Ep. 53 – FAQ #1: Symptoms & Diagnosis

    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 stress, and take charge of their well-being. Dr. Alvarez’s mission is simple: to inspire every woman to become the CEO of their own health—with knowledge, confidence, and community.   In this special FAQ-style episode, Dr. Alvarez answers the questions she hears most often in her clinic and from listeners—starting with the one that keeps women stuck for years: “Is this anxiety… or is it my heart?” She explains why the only responsible answer is evaluation—not assumptions—and why women should never accept, “It’s just in your head,” without first ruling out cardiac causes.   With clarity and urgency, she covers: •Anxiety vs. heart symptoms: why they can look identical, and what to do first   •Palpitations when tests are “normal”: what rhythm testing actually means (EKG vs. monitors) and how to think about next steps   •When palpitations may be hormonal: especially during perimenopause and menopause—and why that still deserves a proper workup   •The truth about “classic” symptoms: why women’s warning signs are often mislabeled as “atypical,” and how that mindset costs lives   •Testing that matters for women: what a stress test evaluates, why some modalities (including PET/CT) can be better for women, and the real-world insurance challenge   This episode is a direct call-to-action: trust your body, insist on evaluation, and advocate for yourself as the CEO of your own health.   For a powerful companion listen, Dr. Alvarez recommends Episode 50, where she and her sister break down how heart issues and anxiety/stress can blur together—and how to navigate that line safely.   Visit NitzaMD.com   Follow @NitzaMD on Instagram and Facebook

    10 min
  3. I AM YOU — Ep 52 — Joint Pain in Women Is Not “Just Aging”

    JAN 14

    I AM YOU — Ep 52 — Joint Pain in Women Is Not “Just Aging”

    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 their own health—with knowledge, confidence, and community.   In this episode, Dr. Alvarez speaks directly to women in their 40s and 50s who are living with unexplained joint pain—and being told the same dismissive line: “Welcome to aging.” She explains why the timing matters, why “normal imaging” does not mean “nothing is happening,” and why midlife joint pain is often an early signal of hormonal shifts and rising inflammation that can also affect cardiovascular risk.   Dr. Alvarez breaks it down in clear, practical terms, including the data that too often gets left out: more than 70% of midlife women experience musculoskeletal symptoms during the menopause transition, 25% experience symptoms severe enough to impair quality of life, and up to 40% report pain with no structural findings on imaging.   With clarity and compassion, she covers: Why joint pain in midlife women is often hormone- and inflammation-driven, not simply “wear and tear”  The myths that keep women stuck (including “normal imaging means it’s not serious”)  The overlooked connection between chronic inflammation, joint pain, and long-term cardiovascular risk  Exactly what to ask your doctor: hormones, inflammatory markers, metabolic risk profile, and how this may change your heart-risk strategy  A direct call to action: don’t “push through” in silence—advocate for yourself as the CEO of your own health  If you’ve been doubting your body because your labs or scans look “fine,” this episode reframes the conversation: your pain is real—and it may be information your heart needs you to take seriously.   Visit NitzaMD.com Follow @NitzaMD on Instagram and Facebook

    7 min
  4. I AM YOU - Ep 51 - When Standing Up Steals Your Life: POTS in Women

    JAN 7

    I AM YOU - Ep 51 - When Standing Up Steals Your Life: POTS in Women

    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 their own health—with knowledge, confidence, and community.   In this episode, Dr. Alvarez spotlights a condition that is frequently dismissed—and life-altering when ignored: POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome). You’ll meet “Maya,” a 22-year-old college student whose dizziness, racing heart, and near-fainting episodes were brushed off as anxiety—until the real pattern became impossible to ignore.   Dr. Alvarez breaks POTS down in plain language, including what’s happening in the body and why it disproportionately affects young women—often flaring with dehydration, heat, illness, fast position changes, prolonged standing, and hormonal transitions.   With clarity and compassion, she covers: What POTS is and how it’s defined (including standing and tilt testing criteria)  The symptoms women actually feel—from lightheadedness and palpitations to fatigue, brain fog, GI symptoms, and “anxiety-like” adrenaline surges  Why POTS gets missed (and why “normal labs” and “normal blood pressure” don’t rule it out)  A practical foundation plan: fluids, electrolytes, sodium, compression, and the right exercise strategy (not “push harder”)  How hormones affect symptoms—and why your care plan should acknowledge that reality  What to say when you get dismissed (“You’re too young,” “It’s just anxiety,” “Just drink water”)  Five steps you can start today to stabilize your day-to-day and identify triggers  This episode is a direct call-to-action: do not accept dismissal, do not lose years to “maybe it’s in your head,” and learn how to advocate for yourself as the CEO of your own health.   For a powerful companion story, Dr. Alvarez also recommends revisiting Episode 29 with Hannah, where years of symptoms were dismissed before the right strategy finally helped.   Visit NitzaMD.com Follow @NitzaMD on Instagram and Facebook

    23 min
  5. I AM YOU - Ep 50 - Your heart is tired of surviving

    12/24/2025

    I AM YOU - Ep 50 - Your heart is tired of surviving

    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 conversations and expert insights that empower women to understand their heart health, listen to their bodies, and step fully into their role as the CEO of their own health. In this deeply personal and eye-opening episode, Dr. Alvarez welcomes a very special guest — Dr. María Isabel Alvarez-Torres, a clinical psychologist specializing in trauma and emotional health… and her sister. Together, they explore the powerful and often overlooked connection between the emotional heart and the physical heart. Through the story of their mother — a strong, resilient woman who carried the weight of family, responsibility, and unspoken stress — this episode reveals how years of emotional endurance, suppressed trauma, and chronic stress can quietly shape women’s cardiovascular health. What begins as “just stress” can ultimately surface as heart disease, broken-heart syndrome (Takotsubo cardiomyopathy), high blood pressure, or overwhelming anxiety. Dr. Alvarez-Torres explains how chronic stress rewires the nervous system, how trauma — including Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) — can leave lasting biological imprints, and why many women normalize survival mode without realizing the toll it takes on their hearts. Together, the sisters unpack why women are especially vulnerable, how multitasking and perfectionism fuel chronic stress, and how the body eventually demands to be heard. This episode also offers hope and tools: learning to pause, recognize stress signals, regulate the nervous system, release stored emotional energy, and seek trauma-informed care when needed. Healing the heart is not just about medication or test results — it’s about compassion, self-awareness, boundaries, and giving yourself permission to rest, feel, and receive support. This powerful conversation is a reminder that you cannot fully heal the physical heart without honoring the emotional one — and that becoming the CEO of your own health means caring for both. 🎧 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

    1h 4m
  6. I AM YOU – Ep 49 – I Kept Passing Out… and Everyone Told Me I Was Fine

    12/17/2025

    I AM YOU – Ep 49 – I Kept Passing Out… and Everyone Told Me I Was Fine

    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 dismissedHow menopause and hormones can mask serious cardiovascular conditionsWhat a tilt table test is—and why it was life-changing for ValerieThe emotional toll of being told “you’re fine” when you know you’re notHow finally having a diagnosis restores peace, confidence, and quality of lifeThis 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

    22 min
  7. I AM YOU – Ep. 48 – Your Hormones Are Talking — Listen

    12/10/2025

    I AM YOU – Ep. 48 – Your Hormones Are Talking — Listen

    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 expectedHow hormone shifts affect brain blood flow and cognitive clarityThe myths that keep women from recognizing early warning signsThe 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 preventionThis 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

    12 min
  8. I AM YOU – Ep. 47 – Self-Care Isn’t Selfish

    12/03/2025

    I AM YOU – Ep. 47 – Self-Care Isn’t Selfish

    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.

    21 min
See All (55)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
11 Ratings

About

Dr Nitza Alvarez, a board-certified cardiologist and best-selling author, is sharing stories of women who speak up and become the CEO of their own health. For more information, visit NitzaMD.com

Information

  • Creator
    Dr Nitza Alvarez
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    55
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 I AM YOU
  • Show Website
    I AM YOU