About me
Rachel Marcus, MD, is a board-certified cardiologist at MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute, and the Interim Director of the Echo Labs at MedStar Union Memorial and MedStar Good Samaritan Hospitals. Her practice focuses on the use of echocardiogram procedures like transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) for the diagnosis of cardiovascular conditions such as coronary artery disease, valvular heart disease, congestive heart failure. She is a structural echocardiographer who helps guide the non-surgical valve repair and replacement procedures at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital. Through her work as the Medical Director of the non-profit Latin American Society of Chagas she has become an internationally recognized expert in Chagas disease, and provides consultation for both doctors and patients who have questions about this disease.
After receiving her medical degree from Stanford University School of Medicine, Dr. Marcus completed an internal medicine residency at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. She then went on to complete an internal medicine residency and a cardiovascular medicine fellowship at the Stanford University Medical Center.
Dr. Marcus is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese.
Philosophy of Care
"I strive to provide the best quality of care to all of my patients, including them as a partner in the decisionmaking process."
Clinical areas of focus
- Abnormal Electrocardiogram (EKG)
- Atrial Fibrillation
- Cardiovascular Care
- Chest Pain
- Cholesterol Disorders
- Cholesterol Management
- Coronary Artery Disease
- Dizziness
- Dyspnea On Exertion
- Heart Disease
- Heart Disease In Women
- Heart Murmur
- Hypertension
- Palpitations
- Syncope
- Tachycardia
Conditions and procedures
Conditions I treat
- Abnormal Coronary Angiography
- Abnormal Electrocardiogram (EKG)
- Abnormal Stress Test
- Acute Bacterial Endocarditis
- Advanced Heart Failure (ADHF)
- Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy
- Amyloidosis
- Anomalies Of The Coronary Artery
- Aortic Diseases
- Aortic Regurgitation
- Aortic Stenosis
- Aortic Ulcer
- Aortic Valve Disease
- Aortic Valve Sclerosis
- Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy
- Atherosclerosis
- Atherosclerosis Of The Aorta
- Athletic Heart Syndrome
- Atrial Fibrillation
- Atrial Flutter
- Atrial Septal Defect (ASD)
- Atrial Tachycardia
- Atrioventricular Block
- Autoimmune Pericarditis
- Bicuspid Aortic Valve
- Bradycardia
- Cardiac Angina
- Cardiac Arrhythmias
- Cardiac Insufficiency
- Cardiac Tamponade
- Cardiac Tumor
- Cardio Oncology
- Cardiomegaly
- Cardiomyopathy
- Cardiopulmonary Disease
- Cardiorenal Syndrome
- Cardiotoxicity
- Carotid Aneurysm
- Carotid Intimal Thickness
- Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia
- Cerebral Venous Thrombosis
- Chagas Disease
- Chemodectoma
- Chest Pain
- Cholesterol Disorders
- Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension
- Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)
- Coronary Artery Calcification
- Coronary Artery Disease
- Coronary Artery Fistula
- Cyanotic Heart Disease
- Dilated Cardiomyopathy
- Dizziness
- Double Aortic Arch
- Double Outlet Right Ventricle (DORV)
- Dysautonomia
- Dyspnea On Exertion
- Edema
- Eisenmenger Syndrome
- Elevated Creatine Kinase
- Exercise Intolerance
- Fibromuscular Dysplasia
- First Degree Heart Block
- Genetic Cardiomyopathy
- Giant Cell Myocarditis
- Heart Disease
- Heart Disease In Women
- Heart Murmur
- Heart Problems
- Heart Racing
- Heart Valve Disease
- Hypertension
- Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
- Idiopathic Hypertrophic Subaortic Stenosis
- Infiltrative Disorders Of The Heart
- Intestinal Ischemic Syndrome
- Ischemic Cardiomyopathy
- Kawasaki Disease
- Left Bundle Branch Block
- Left Heart Failure
- Left Ventricular Hypertrophy
- Lymphangitis
- Lymphedema
- Mitral Valve Disease
- Mitral Valve Prolapse
- Mitral Valve Regurgitation
- Mitral Valve Stenosis
- Mthfr Mutation
- Myocardial Infarction (MI)
- Myocarditis
- Myxoma
- Orthopnea
- Orthostatic Hypotension
- Palpitations
- Papillary Muscle Disorders
- Paraganglioma
- Paroxysmal Supraventricular Tachycardia
- Paroxysmal Tachycardia
- Paroxysmal Ventricular Tachycardia
- Partial Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return (PAPVR)
- Patent Ductus Arteriosus
- Patent Foramen Ovale
- Pericardial Effusion
- Pericarditis
- Peripheral Edema
- Pre Excitation Syndrome
- Premature Atrial Contraction
- Premature Beats
- Premature Ventricular Contractions
- Prinzmetals Angina
- Pulmonary Artery Stenosis
- Pulmonary Capillary Hemangiomatosis
- Pulmonary Edema
- Pulmonary Valve Disorders
- Pulmonary Valve Insufficiency
- Pulmonary Valve Stenosis
- Pulmonary Vein Stenosis
- Pulmonary Veno Occlusive Disease
- Refractory Angina
- Renal Vein Compression
- Restrictive Cardiomyopathy
- Rheumatic Aortic Regurgitation
- Rheumatic Aortic Stenosis
- Rheumatic Diseases Of Pulmonary Valve
- Rheumatic Fever
- Rheumatic Heart Disease
- Rheumatic Heart Failure
- Rheumatic Mitral Regurgitation
- Rheumatic Mitral Stenosis
- Right Bundle Branch Block
- Right Heart Failure
- Right Ventricular Hypertrophy
- Secondary Hypertension
- Sick Sinus Syndrome
- Single Ventricle Defect
- Subaortic Stenosis
- Supraventricular Tachycardia
- Syncope
- Tachycardia
- Tachycardia Bradycardia Syndrome
- Tricuspid Regurgitation
- Tricuspid Stenosis
- Tricuspid Valve Disease
- Type 1 Second Degree Heart Block
- Type 2 Second Degree Heart Block
- Unstable Angina
- Valve Stenosis
- Valvular Endocarditis
- Valvular Heart Disease
- Variant Angina
- Vasospastic Angina
- Vasovagal Syncope
- Venous Tumors
- Ventricular Aneurysm
- Ventricular Arrhythmia
- Ventricular Fibrillation
- Ventricular Tachycardia
- Viral Cardiomyopathy
Procedures I perform
- Abdominal Duplex Ultrasound
- Adenosine Stress Test
- Advanced Lipid Blood Tests
- Anticoagulation
- Cardiac Rehabilitation
- Cardiac Risk Assessment
- Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing
- Cardiovascular Care
- Cholesterol Management
- Collateral Vessel Closure
- Coronary Brachytherapy
- Directional Atherectomy
- Dobutamine Stress Test
- Electrocardiogram (EKG)
- Electrophysiology Testing
- Heart Health
- Holter Monitor
- Implantable Cardiac Monitor Procedure
- In Office Cardiac Echocardiogram
- In Office Cardiac Stress Test
- Left Atrial Appendage Closure
- Loop Recorder
- Optical Coherence Tomography
- Preoperative Evaluation
- Preventative Cardiology
- Prosthetic Heart Valves
- Pulmonary And Cardiac Rehabilitation
- Rotational Atherectomy
- Sports Related Cardiovascular Assessment
- Stress Echo Cardiogram
- Thallium Stress Test
- Tilt Table Test
- Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair
- Transesophageal Echocardiography
- Transthoracic Echocardiogram
- Vo2 Measurement
Videos
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease
Fellowship Program: Stanford University School of Medicine (2001)
Residency Program: Stanford University School of Medicine (1999)
Residency Program: Brigham and Womens Hospital (1996)
Medical School: Stanford University School of Medicine (1994)
Hospital affiliations
News and publications
Dr. Marcus is one of seven physicans that helped save the life of Steven Jones, the husband of Dr. Sandra Swain.
Marcus, R., Atwood, E. Atrial Fibrillation and Anticoagulation. Advances in Internal Medicine, Vol. 44, Chapter 9, 1999 Mosby.
Do, D., Marcus, R., Froelicher, VF., et al. Predicting Severe Angiographic Coronary Artery Disease Using Computerization of Clinical and Exercise Test Data. Chest 1998 114:1437–45.
Vagelos, R., Marcus, R., Atwood, JE. Signs, Symptoms, and Laboratory Abnormalities in Cardiovascular Disease. Hospital Medicine, Chapter 24 April 2000, Lippincott Press.
Prakash, M., Myers, J., Froelicher, VF., Marcus, R., et al. Diagnostic Exercise Tests on 4000 Consecutive Men. Am Heart J. 2001 142(1):127-35.
Prakash, M., Myers, J., Froelicher, VF., Marcus, R., et al. Clinical and Exercise Test Predictors of All-Cause Mortality: Results from >6000 Consecutive Referred Male Patients. Chest 2001 120(3):1003-13.
Shetler K., Marcus, R., Froelicher, VF., et al. Heart Rate Recovery: Validation and Methodologic Issues. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2001 Dec; 38(7):1980-7.
Spin, JM., Prakash, M., Froelicher, VF., Partington, S., Marcus, R., et al. The Prognostic Value of Exercise Testing in Elderly Men. Am J Med. 2002 Apr. 15; 112(6):453-9.
Marcus RR., Kalisetti, D., Raxwal, V., et al. Early Repolarization in Spinal Cord Injury: Prevalence and Clinical Significance. J. Spinal Cord Med. 2002 Spring 25(1):33-38.
Prakash M, Raxwal V, Froelicher VF, Kalisetti D, Vieira A, O'Mara G, Marcus R, et al. Electrocardiographic Findings in Patients With Chronic Spinal Cord Injury. I Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2002 Aug;81(8):601-8
Kolasa, MW., Lee, JC., Atwood, JE., Marcus, R., Eckert, RE,. Relation of QTc Duration Heterogeneity to Mortality Following Orthotopic Heart Transplantation. Am J Cardiol. 2005 Feb 1;95(3):431-2.
Perez, MV., Dewey, FE., Marcus, R., Ashley, EA., et al. Electrocardiographic Predictors of Atrial Fibrillation. Am Heart J. 2009 Oct; 158(4):622-8
Kaplinski M, Jois M, Galson-Cardenas G, et al. Sustained Domestic Vector Exposure Is Associated With Increased Chagas Cardiomyopathy Risk but Decreased Parasitemia and Congenital Transmission Risk Among Young Women in Bolivia. Clin Infect Dis. (2015) 61 (6): 918-926.
Fu, K, Zamudio, R, et al. Association of caspase-1 Polymorphisms with Chagas Cardiomyopathy among individuals in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Rev Soc Bras Med Trop 50(4):516-523, July-Aug 2017.
Acquatella, H, Asch F, et al. Recommendations for Multimodality Cardiac Imaging in Patients with Chagas Disease: A Report from the American Society of Echocardiography in Collaboration with the InterAmerican Association of Echocardiography (ECOSIAC) and the Cardiovascular Imaging Department of the Brazilian Society of Cardiology (DIC-SBC). JASE January 2018 31(1): 3-25.
Castro, Y and Marcus, R. Epidemiology of Chagas Disease in the USA: High Risk Patient Populations for Screening. Curr. Trop. Med. Reports 12 Jan 2019
Marcus RR. Chagas Disease: It’s Not the Zebra You Think It Is. http://www.acc.org. April 9, 2019.
Echeverria, L, Marcus, R, Novick, G et al. WHF IASC Roadmap on Chagas Disease. Global Heart, 15(1), p.26
Marcus RR. A Latin American Immigrant With Cardiac Arrest. http://www.acc.org. Apr 14, 2020.
Marcus RR. Poll: Chagas Disease in the United States. http://www.acc.org. Apr 14, 2020.
Castro-Sesquen, Y, Saldana, A, Patino Nava, D, et al. Use of a Latent Class Analysis in the diagnosis of chronic Chagas disease in the Washington Metropolitan Area. Clin Infect Dis. 2020 Aug 7:ciaa1101
Wheelock, A Sandhu S, Loskill A et al. Testing for Chagas disease in an at-risk population. J Card Fail. 2020 Sep 6:S1071-9164.
Echeverria L, Rojas, L Rueda Ochoa O, et al. Circulating Trypanosoma cruzi load and major cardiovascular outcomes in patients with chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy: a prospective cohort study. Trop Med Int Health. 2020 Sep 10.
Zaidel, E, Forsyth C, Novick G, Marcus R, et al. Covid-19: implications for people with Chagas disease. Global Heart 2020;15(1):69.
Shehadeh, M, Barac, A, Marcus, R. Clinical Presentations of Chagas Cardiomyopathy. Case Rep Cardiol. 2020 Nov 3;2020:8884910
Poster:
Prevalence of Chagas Disease in Bolivian Immigrants to North America, Marcus, R, and Sanchez, J. ASTMH annual meeting 2013.