It beats. It throws blood. It breaks – but not if Dr. Herman Taylor can help it. He is a physician, professor and director of the Cardiovascular Research Institute at the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, and an absolute legend. Cardiology is a vast field but Dr. Taylor joined for a 101 on how the heart works, and how to take care of it. Get pumped for valves, tubes, electrical shocks, Grey’s Anatomy glossaries, heavy metal hearts, the effects of long term stress and systemic oppression on the heart, what those blood pressure numbers mean, what to do in an emergency, cardiac disease symptoms, what your heart wants you to eat, how to decipher your cholesterol numbers and why you would want to. Also: the worst heart tattoos out there.

Browse Dr. Taylor’s publications on ResearchGate and follow Dr. Matthew Evan Taylor

A donation went to the Center for Black Agency and Resilience

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Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

Other episodes you may enjoy: Surgical Angiology (VEINS & ARTERIES), Hematology (BLOOD), BlackAFinSTEM with various Ologists, Black American Magirology (FOOD, RACE & CULTURE), Surgical Oncology (BREAST CANCER), Thyroidology (THYROID GLAND), Addictionology (ADDICTION), Somnology (SLEEP), Chronobiology (CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS), FIELD TRIP: My Butt, a Colonoscopy Ride Along & How-To

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Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jake Chaffee

Managing Director: Susan Hale

Scheduling Producer: Noel Dilworth

Transcripts by Aveline Malek

Website by Kelly R. Dwyer

Theme song by Nick Thorburn