Satish R Raj
Professor
Chair, Cardiac Arrhythmia Service; Medical Director
Cardiologist
Cardiac Electrophysiologist
BSc
MD
Fellowship
MSCI
Contact information
Courses
MDSC 629 - Autonomic Physiology Lectures
MDSC 684.01 - Pacemaker and ICD Evolution and Development
MDSC 528 - Undergraduate Research
Research and teaching
Research areas
- autonomic disorders;
- syncope;
- postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome;
- orthostatic hypotension;
- pure autonomic failure
- syncope, vasovagal
- insertable cardiac monitors
Biography
Satish R Raj MD MSCI is a Heart Rhythm Cardiologist. After completing his Internal Medicine and Cardiology training at Queen’s University, he completed his training in Cardiac Electrophysiology at the University of Calgary. He then spent 12 years working at the Vanderbilt Autonomic Dysfunction Center in Nashville, TN.
He has now moved back to the University of Calgary in Canada and he has founded the Calgary Autonomic Investigation & Management Clinic. He is currently Professor of Cardiac Science at the Libin Cardiovascular Institute and the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine.
His primary research interests relate to understanding and better treating postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS), vasovagal syncope, and orthostatic hypotension. He is conducting studies into the role of autoantibodies and inflammation in POTS, and understanding the “brain fog” of POTS. He is also looking at repurposing drugs in novel ways to treat vasovagal syncope and orthostatic hypotension.
Dr. Raj is currently the President of the American Autonomic Society.
Dr. Raj also serves as a Medical Advisor to many POTS patient groups, including POTS UK, and Dysautonomia International.
Publications
1. Ng J, Sheldon RS, Maxey C, Ritchie D, Raj V, Exner D, Raj SR. Quality of life improves in vasovagal syncope patients after clinical trial enrollment regardless of fainting in follow-up. Auton Neurosci 2019 Apr 07. doi: 10.1016/j.autneu.2019.04.001. [Epub ahead of print]
2. Lloyd MG, Raj SR. Abnormal Valsalva: Not Always Due to Heart Failure. JACC Heart Fail. 2019;7:178-179. doi: 10.1016/j.jchf.2018.11.009.
3. Raj SR, Hewitt LA. Use of droxidopa for the long-term treatment of neurogenic orthostatic hypotension. Eur Heart J. 2019:40:69-70. doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehy779
4. Jordan J, Fanciulli A, Tank J, Calandra-Buonaura G, Cheshire WP, Cortelli P, Eschlboeck S, Grassi G, Hilz MJ, Kaufmann H, Lahrmann H, Mancia G, Mayer G, Norcliffe-Kaufmann L, Pavy-Le Traon A, Raj SR, Robertson D, Rocha I, Reuter H, Struhal W, Thijs RD, Tsioufis KP, Gert van Dijk J, Wenning GK, Biaggioni I. Management of supine hypertension in patients with neurogenic orthostatic hypotension: scientific statement of the American Autonomic Society, European Federation of Autonomic Societies, and the European Society of Hypertension. J Hypertens. 2019 Mar 14. doi: 10.1097/HJH.0000000000002078. [Epub ahead of print]
5. Jacob G, Diedrich L, Sato K, Brychta RJ, Raj SR, Robertson D, Biaggioni I, Diedrich A. Vagal and Sympathetic Function in Neuropathic Postural Tachycardia Syndrome. Hypertension. 2019 Mar 18. doi: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.118.11803. [Epub ahead of print]
6. Shaw BH, Stiles LE, Bourne K, Green EA, Shibao CA, Okamoto LE, Garland EM, Gamboa A, Diedrich A, Raj V, Sheldon RS, Biaggioni I, Robertson D, Raj SR. The Face of Postural Tachycardia Syndrome - Insights from a Large Cross-Sectional Online Community-Based Survey. J Intern Med. 2019 Mar 12. doi: 10.1111/joim.12895. [Epub ahead of print]
7. Okamoto LE, Shibao CA, Gamboa A, Diedrich A, Raj SR, Black BK, Robertson D, Biaggioni I. Synergistic Pressor Effect of Atomoxetine and Pyridostigmine in Patients With Neurogenic Orthostatic Hypotension. Hypertension. 2019;73:235-241. doi: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.118.11790.
8. Ng J, Sheldon RS, Ritchie D, Raj V, Raj SR. Reduced quality of life and greater psychological distress in vasovagal syncope patients compared to healthy individuals. Pacing Clin Electrophysiol. 2019;42:180-188. doi: 10.1111/pace.13559.
9. Miller AJ, Raj SR. Pharmacotherapy for postural tachycardia syndrome. Auton Neurosci. 2018; 215:28-36. doi: 10.1016/j.autneu.2018.04.008.
10. Yu X, Li H, Murphy TA, Nuss Z, Liles J, Liles C, Aston CE, Raj SR, Fedorowski A, Kem DC. Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Autoantibodies in Postural Tachycardia Syndrome. J Am Heart Assoc. 2018;7. pii: e008351. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.117.008351.
11. Arnold AC, Ng J, Raj SR. Postural tachycardia syndrome - Diagnosis, physiology, and prognosis. Auton Neurosci. 2018; 215:3-11. doi: 10.1016/j.autneu.2018.02.005.
12. Mar PL, Raj SR. Orthostatic hypotension for the Cardiologist. Curr Opinion Cardiol. 2018;33:66-72.
13. Arnold AC, Ng J, Lei L, Raj SR. Autonomic Dysfunction in Cardiology: Pathophysiology, Investigation, and Management. Can J Cardiol. 2017;33:1524-1534.
14. Arnold AC, Raj SR. Orthostatic Hypotension: A Practical Approach to Investigation and Management. Can J Cardiol. 2017;33:1725-1728.
15. Shen WK, Sheldon RS, Benditt DG, Cohen MI, Forman DE, Goldberger ZD, Grubb BP, Hamdan MH, Krahn AD, Link MS, Olshansky B, Raj SR, Sandhu RK, Sorajja D, Sun BC, Yancy CW. 2017 ACC/AHA/HRS Guideline for the Evaluation and Management of Patients With Syncope: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines, and the Heart Rhythm Society. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2017;70:e39-e110.
Awards
2014 - Dysautonomia International Physician of the Year
2018-2020 - President, American Autonomic Society