Specialty: Clinical Cardiology and Cardiac Rehabilitation
Dr. Karla Moraima Castolo Sánchez is a cardiologist with subspecialty training in cardiac rehabilitation, based in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco. With over seven years of clinical experience, she is recognized as the only cardiologist in the region with formal advanced training in rehabilitation medicine, enabling her to deliver comprehensive cardiovascular care. Her practice integrates prevention, treatment, and recovery strategies, improving quality of life for patients with heart disease through evidence-based, personalized protocols.
Education
- MD — Universidad de Guadalajara (2005–2011)
- Clinical Cardiology Residency — Centro Médico Nacional de Occidente, IMSS, Guadalajara (2014–2017)
- Advanced Subspecialty in Cardiac Rehabilitation — Instituto Nacional de Cardiología “Ignacio Chávez”, UNAM (2017–2018)
Clinical Experience
- Hospiten Puerto Vallarta (2018–present) — Clinical cardiologist and cardiac rehabilitation specialist; implementation of integrated rehabilitation programs including exercise, nutrition, and supervised monitoring.
- IMSS (Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social) (2020–2023) — Clinical cardiologist; care of high-volume cardiac patients in the public sector, contributing to multidisciplinary cardiac care.
- Private Practice, Puerto Vallarta (2018–present) — Focus on secondary prevention and rehabilitation in cardiovascular patients.
Scientific Publications & Research
- 2015: “Carcinoid syndrome with pulmonary and tricuspid valve involvement: case report and literature review.” Revista Mexicana de Cardiología
- 2015: “Left atrial volume and left ventricular function.” 7th CADECI International Congress of Cardiology (Guadalajara)
- 2016: “Incidence of cardiovascular events in patients with positive dobutamine stress echocardiography and no obstructive coronary lesions.” Presented in Monterrey; published Revista Mexicana de Cardiología (2017)
- 2017–2018: Studies on exercise-induced arrhythmias in post-infarction patients; presented at Mexican Congress of Cardiology (2017) and European Society of Cardiology Congress (Munich, 2018)
- 2022: Book chapter: “Exercise prescription based on accessible variables from conventional stress testing.” In Clínicas Mexicanas de Cardiología (Cardiovascular Prevention volume)
Memberships & Professional Roles
- Active Member — Sociedad Mexicana de Cardiología
- Member — Sociedad Mexicana para el Cuidado del Corazón
- Associate Fellow — American College of Cardiology (ACC), Mexico Chapter (since 2014)
- Member — European Society of Cardiology (since 2018)
- Panelist/Coordinator — Mexican Congresses on Cardiac Rehabilitation and International Sessions of the Sociedad Mexicana de Cardiología
Additional Contributions
- Health outreach author: “Mujeres: Tu corazón también importa, ¡aprende a cuidarlo!” (Hospiten, 2025) — Public-facing article raising awareness on cardiovascular risk factors in women.
- Active participation in professional and community education in Puerto Vallarta.