Division of Cardiovascular Diseases and Hypertension
Welcome to the Division of Cardiovascular Disease & Hypertension
Chief of the Division of Cardiovascular Diseases & Hypertension, RWJMS
Chief of Cardiac Services, RWJUH
The Division of Cardiovascular Disease & Hypertension has several missions. These are the provision of outstanding patient care; the development and implementation of superior educational programs for medical students, residents, and fellows; and the performance of innovative clinical and basic science research to advance the ability of physicians to diagnose and manage cardiovascular diseases and hypertensive disorders.
At the undergraduate level, divisional faculty members provide the majority of cardiovascular diseases teaching in the RWJMS 2nd year Pathophysiology course, serve as preceptors for Physical Diagnosis and OSCE sessions, lecture to 3rd and 4th year medical students during their Medicine clerkships, and supervise students on cardiovascular diseases clinical and research rotations.
At the post-graduate level, members of the faculty serve as clinical and research mentors for resident physicians in both invasive and non-invasive cardiology. Faculty members mentor medical students, resident physicians, and subspecialty fellows in clinical research.
Division faculty serve as attending physicians on the Cardiology Consultation Services at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, RWJUH at Hamilton and Saint Peter’s University Hospital. Divisional faculty members also serve as the Directors of the Catheterization, Echocardiography and Electrophysiology Laboratories and the Advanced Heart Failure/Transplant Program at RWJUH.
Specialty care is provided for patients with heart failure, acute coronary syndromes, valvular heart disease, congenital heart disease, syncope and arrhythmias, including:
- Coronary revascularization
- Non-invasive assessment
- Primary prevention
- Pacemaker and ICD insertion and follow-up
- Treatment of hypertensive and atherosclerotic disorders
- Treatment of general cardiology problems
- Support of individuals recovering from myocardial infarction
Non-Invasive Cardiology
The section of Non-Invasive Cardiology provides comprehensive echocardiographic services, including transthoracic, transesophageal, and stress echocardiograms for both inpatients and outpatients.
Echocardiograms are essential for diagnosing and monitoring a range of cardiovascular conditions. The Section of Non-Invasive Cardiology's clinical service is committed to:
- Providing Excellence in Cardiovascular Imaging: We strive to deliver superior cardiovascular imaging services, continuously enhancing our technological capabilities and clinical expertise.
- Staying Updated with Innovations: We keep pace with the latest advancements in cardiovascular imaging to ensure we offer the most current and effective diagnostic techniques.
- Educating the Healthcare Community: We offer up-to-date and thorough education in cardiovascular imaging to patients, sonographers, medical students, residents, fellows, and healthcare providers.
- Promoting Research and Development: We support and engage in research aimed at improving cardiovascular imaging practices and applications.
- Integrating with Other Imaging Modalities: We aim to seamlessly connect echocardiography with other imaging techniques to provide the best possible patient care and support comprehensive research efforts.
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Non-Invasive Cardiology Faculty
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Non-Invasive Cardiology Programs
Advanced Heart Failure
Our program provides comprehensive diagnostic and therapeutic services for the management of cardiomyopathy and heart failure and offers advanced cardiac replacement therapies, including heart transplantation and ventricular assist devices.
- Heart Failure Evaluation and Treatment: Our experts offer specialized diagnostic approaches to treat and improve heart function. We offer personalized and comprehensive heart failure and cardiomyopathy evaluation, including advanced imaging and genetic testing. We offer specialized testing for heart failure, such as myocardial biopsies and cardiac metabolic stress testing. We are proud to bring innovative device-based therapies for heart failure, including Mitral-Clip, CardioMems, Barostim, and Cardiac Contractility Modulation (CCM). We also participate in clinical trials for heart failure.
- Mechanical Cardiac Support: We have organized a multidisciplinary group of experts to evaluate and treat the most critically ill patients with a team-based approach with the aim of stabilizing patients with advanced heart failure. We provide a full complement of temporary mechanical circulatory devices as well as durable/ permanent ventricular assist devices (such as LVADs). We are proud to be one of only 4 Joint Commission Gold Seal of Approval VAD centers in New Jersey.
- Heart Transplantation: we evaluate and treat patients with advanced heart failure for heart transplantation. We are proud to be one of only 2 heart transplant centers in the state of New Jersey. We offer a full suite of services to support patients pre-transplant and post-transplant with specialists in transplant cardiology, invasive cardiology, critical care, pathology, immunology, infectious disease, nutrition, psychiatry, physical therapy, and social services.
Specialized Advanced Heart Failure Services:
- Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD): Advanced durable mechanical circulatory support for the heart
- Heart transplantation
- Mitral Clip
- CardioMems
- Barostim
- Cardiac Contractility Modulation
- Clinical trials
With RWJUH's Advanced Heart Failure, Transplant, and VAD Program, patients receive top-tier, comprehensive care with access to the latest treatments and diagnostic technologies, ensuring state-of-the-art and effective cardiac support.
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Advanced Heart Failure Programs
Electrophysiology
The Section of Electrophysiology provides the full spectrum of diagnostic and therapeutic cardiovascular services, including:
- Diagnostic Electrophysiologic Studies: Comprehensive assessments to identify and evaluate heart rhythm disorders.
- Therapeutic Electrophysiologic Procedures: Advanced treatments, such as:
- Radiofrequency Transcatheter Ablation: A minimally invasive procedure to destroy abnormal heart tissue causing arrhythmias.
- Insertion of Temporary and Permanent Pacemakers: For managing bradycardia and other pacing issues.
- Implantation of Automatic Defibrillators: Devices designed to detect and correct dangerous arrhythmias automatically.
We are dedicated to providing expert care and advanced treatments to manage and correct heart rhythm disorders, ensuring comprehensive and individualized patient care.
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Electrophysiology Programs
Interventional Cardiology
The Section of Interventional Cardiology offers Cardiac Catheterization and Catheter-Based Interventions which includes comprehensive diagnostic and therapeutic cardiovascular services such as:
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Diagnostic Procedures:
- Right-Heart and Left-Heart Catheterization
- Angioscopy
- Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS)
- Doppler Wire Evaluations
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Interventional Procedures:
- Balloon Angioplasty
- Directional Coronary Atherectomy
- Rotoblater and Laser Angioplasty
- TEC Procedures
- Stent Deployment
- Laser Transmyocardial Revascularization
- Pericardiocentesis and Balloon Pericardial Window
Advanced Technology and Expertise
- 4D Intracardiac Echocardiography (ICE): Guides procedures like left atrial appendage closure, mitral valve repair, and tricuspid valve regurgitation treatment with minimal anesthesia.
Our lab, one of the busiest in the region, performs over 5,000 procedures annually across eight advanced laboratories, supported by a team of experts skilled in a wide range of invasive and interventional techniques.
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Interventional Cardiology Programs
Cardiology Grand Rounds
Advancing Cardiovascular Care and Education
The Division of Cardiovascular Diseases and Hypertension at RWJMS & RWJUH delivers exceptional patient care while pioneering research to enhance the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular and hypertensive disorders. Our Cardiology Grand Rounds Series offers cutting-edge educational content, featuring insights from top experts and innovators. We engage healthcare professionals across specialties and provide Category-1 CME credits through CloudCME, fostering collaboration and advancing healthcare solutions.
Cardiology Grand Rounds Library
Cardiology Fellowship Program
Advance Your Career
The Cardiology Fellowship Program aims to prepare clinical and academic cardiologists for leadership roles in cardiovascular medicine, basic and clinical research, and clinical cardiology.
During their training, the fellows serve as consultants for critically ill medical and surgical patients, and provide care to their patients in an outpatient setting. The fellows are trained to perform and interpret the vast array of invasive and non-invasive diagnostic and therapeutic cardiovascular procedures.
Amyloid Center of Excellence
ACE @ RWJMS & RWJUH
Director of the Amyloid Center of Excellence
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) and Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS) have established the Amyloid Center of excellence to diagnose patients with rare, but potentially fatal, amyloid conditions earlier and treat them more effectively through personalized medicine.
Patients in the Amyloidosis Center at RWJUH and Rutgers RWJMS benefit from a multidisciplinary team approach that includes specialists across a broad range of disciplines such as heart and vascular care, neurology, hematology, nephrology, pathology and bone marrow transplantation. The clinical teams work together to identify the forms of the disease and develop an effective, individualized treatment plan.
Sabahat Bokhari, MD, an internationally recognized amyloidosis expert, serves as director of the center, the first program of its kind in New Jersey. Dr. Bokhari has made significant contributions to the proper diagnosis of amyloidosis. He pioneered the development of a noninvasive imaging method called technetium-99m pyrophosphate scintigraphy (PYP) imaging, which is used worldwide and is recommended by professional medical organizations such as the American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association, and the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology for evaluating a form of the disease called cardiac transthyretin amyloidosis.
What is Amyloidosis?
Amyloidosis is a rare, progressive, debilitating and fatal disease that happens when abnormal proteins build up in different organs, like the heart, kidneys, liver, and nerves. This buildup can make it hard for these organs to work properly and may lead to serious health problems if not treated.
There are 42 proteins that cause amyloidosis, and it is essential to confirm the diagnosis of amyloid and the specific subtype to determine the optimal treatment approach.
The two most common are:
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AL (Light Chain) Amyloidosis – caused by abnormal cells in the bone marrow and linked to multiple myeloma (a type of blood cancer).
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Transthyretin (ATTR) Amyloidosis – caused by too much of a protein called transthyretin (TTR), made by the liver. ATTR has two causes: the first is unknown but associated with aging, and the second is due to genetic variants. Over 150 genetic mutations have been identified within the TTR gene, which are associated with amyloidosis. Some forms of ATTR are inherited, so family members may need to be tested.
Doctors treat amyloidosis based on the type and which organs are affected. Specialists in blood disorders, heart health, and nerve diseases work together to help manage the condition. While amyloidosis can be serious, treatments are available to improve symptoms and prevent complications.
Making the Diagnosis
Diagnosing amyloidosis requires a combination of laboratory tests, imaging techniques, and/or tissue biopsies to confirm amyloid deposition and determine its subtype.
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| Tissue Biopsy for Confirmation: |
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A nuclear scan helps detect amyloid in the heart but cannot differentiate between AL and ATTR amyloidosis. A biopsy is often required for definitive diagnosis, using Congo red staining to detect amyloid deposits. Additional testing, including immunofluorescence staining, electron microscopy, and mass spectrometry, is performed to determine the amyloid subtype. |
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A thorough and precise diagnosis is essential to guide the appropriate treatment approach for each patient.
Patient Resources
Patient Resources
Our Team
Accordion Content
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Sabahat Bokhari, MD
Director of the Amyloid Center of Excellence
Director, Advanced Cardiac Imaging
Program Director of Advanced Cardiac Imaging Fellowship and Amyloidosis Fellowship
Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Disease, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical SchoolPartho Sengupta, MD
Chief of the Division of Cardiovascular Diseases & Hypertension, RWJMS
Chief of Cardiac Services, RWJUH
Clinical Trials
Accordion Content
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A Randomized Comparison of Stage-Based Care Versus Risk Factor-Based Care for Prevention of Cardiovascular Events (TRANSFORM)
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TRANSFORM is a prospective, randomized, open-blinded, event-driven trial in patients at increased risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD) but with no known symptoms. It tests whether a Cleerly Coronary Artery Disease Staging System-based care strategy reduces CV events compared to risk factor-based care.
Principle Investigator: Dr. Sabahat Bokhari, MD
Sponsor: Cleerly, Inc.
Call 732-418-8189 or visit https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06112418 for more information.
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Non-interventional Study of Patients With Transthyretin (ATTR) Amyloidosis (MaesTTRo)
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The MaesTTRo study aims to enroll a global cohort of patients with transthyretin (ATTR) amyloidosis to observe the disease’s natural course and real-world treatment patterns and outcomes. It will also collect data on the effectiveness of ATTR treatments, including eplontersen, a gene-silencing treatment targeting both mutant and wild-type TTR proteins.
Principle Investigator: Dr. Sabahat Bokhari, MD
Sponsor: AstraZeneca
Call 732-418-8189 or visit https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06465810 for more information.
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Randomized, Multicenter, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study of Acoramidis for Transthyretin Amyloidosis prevention in the young (ACT-EARLY Trial)
- ACT-EARLY is a Phase 3, randomized, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluating the prevention of symptom expression in Hereditary ATTR Amyloidosis using Acoramidis. The study population consists of younger individuals with the genetic vATTR disease but asymptomatic.
Principle Investigator: Dr. Sabahat Bokhari
Sponsor: Eidos Therapeutics
Call 732-418-8189 or visit https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06637644 for more information.
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The goal of this project is to analyze healthcare data to identify trends in patients diagnosed with ATTR who have experienced treatment abandonment, discontinuation, or failure. The objective is to improve patient outcomes and assess healthcare resource utilization. An educational intervention will be developed to raise awareness, provide patient care recommendations, and optimize treatment strategies.
Principle Investigator: Dr. Sabahat Bokhari
Sponsor: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals
Call 732-418-8189 for more information.
Contact Us
To schedule an appointment, please call 1-866-NJAMYLOID / 1-866-652-6956
Faculty
Chonyang Albert, MD
Ruchika Bhargav, DO
Sabahat Bokhari, MD
Andrew Chang, MD
Ashok Chaudhary, MD
Kenneth Dulnuan, MD
Sasha-Ann East, MD
Jagpreet Grewal, MD
Maya Guglin, MD
Ahmad Halawa, MD
Yasmin Hamirani, MD
Michael S. Huang, DO
Deepa Iyer, MD
William Kostis, PhD, MD
Kameswari Maganti, MD
Theodore Maglione, MD
Andrew Mendoza, MD
Partho Sengupta, MD
Daniel Shindler, MD
Nidhi Tripathi, MD
Tudor Vagaonescu, MD, PhD
Yanting Wang, MD
Naveena Yanamala, PhD
