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Dr. James E. Udelson, MD

Accepting New Patients

(James Udelson, MD)

(63 Ratings)

Specializes in: Cardiology (Heart Disease) and General Practice

New York Medical College (1981)

Professional interests include: preventive cardiology, heart failure, heart problems

860 Washington Street South Building, 3rd floor
Boston, MA 02111

(617) 636-2273

Dr. James E. Udelson, MD is a cardiologist in Boston, MA specializing in cardiology (heart disease) and general practice. He graduated from New York Medical College in 1981 and has 45 years of experience. Dr. James E. Udelson, MD is affiliated with Tufts Medicine, Tufts Medical Center Cardiology Specialty Care and CARDIOVASCULAR CENTER AT TUFTS MEDICAL CENTER INC.

Office Locations

860 Washington Street South Building, 3rd floor
Boston, MA 02111

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Some issues Dr. James E. Udelson, MD can help you with:

Heart Problems

The heart is one of the most important organs in the body. This smooth muscle expands and contracts rhythmically an entire lifetime, pumping blood to the lungs and then to every other cell in the body. When heart problems occur, it becomes difficult for the body to get the nutrients and oxygen it needs via the blood. So while there are a variety of illnesses and disorders that affect the heart, most of them cause weakness, exhaustion and shortness of breath. The most common heart conditions include heart disease, angina, arrhythmia, and valve disorders.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States for both men and women. This includes coronary artery disease, heart attacks, congestive heart failure, and congenital heart disease. Some conditions, such as genetics, cannot be controlled. But there are many other things one can do to lower their risk for heart disease. Controlling high blood pressure and cholesterol levels, reducing or stopping smoking, exercising more and losing weight if needed, and eating a diet low in sodium can all protect the heart.

Angina is a squeezing type of chest pain that happens when the muscles around the heart don't get enough oxygen. It can be regular or infrequent. Usually, angina is caused by coronary heart disease. However, not all chest pain is angina. Chest pain can also be caused by a lung infection or panic attack, for example, so it is important to have any sudden pain checked.

Arrhythmia is the word for when the heart beats too fast, too slow, or irregularly with skipped beats. It can feel frightening, and depending on the type it can be dangerous, but in most cases arrhythmia is not serious and can be treated. It is very common, especially in older adults.

Heart valve problems can happen in any one of the the heart's four valves that keep blood flowing where it needs to go. Babies can be born with problems in their heart valves, or valves can be damaged by infections. The valves can stiffen and become less mobile, or they can stop closing properly and 'leak' when the heart beats. Valve problems can usually be repaired surgically.

In The News (see more mentions in the news)

“James Udelson, chief of cardiology at Tufts Medical Center, noted more patients coming in with heart issues than usual after the weekend storm.”—"Can shoveling snow trigger heart attacks? Here's what Boston's cardiologists had to say", Boston, January 2026

“Dr James Udelson, chief of cardiology at Tufts Medical Center, previously said that a 'significant stimulation of the heart,' from for example, eating extremely spicy food, could result in abnormal...”—"How your hot sauce could trigger a fatal heart attack: types to avoid", Daily Mail Online, June 2025

“"According to the American Heart Association and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, three to four cups of coffee per day has been shown to be safe for most people and not associated with...”—"How Much Caffeine Is Too Much Caffeine?", Huff Post, October 2024

Noteworthy Medicare Patient Procedures Performed by Dr. James E. Udelson, MD in 2023

Click on any procedure below to see further details on volume and pricing among Medicare patients.

Top 10%

By Volume:

cardiac stress testing

By Affordability:

stress EKG

In 2023, among providers in related specialties within Massachusetts, Dr. James E. Udelson, MD performed more cardiac (heart) stress testing procedures for Medicare patients than 90% of them and he also had a list price for stress EKG that was lower than the list prices billed to Medicare by 90% of them. Actual amounts paid by patients can vary widely depending on a number of factors, including insurance coverage. A lower list price, however, might mean lower fees when paying without insurance.

Top 25%

By Volume:

inpatient hospital care

myocardial perfusion SPECT

nuclear scan

stress EKG

In 2012, Dr. James E. Udelson, MD performed more inpatient hospital care (for patient admitted to hospital), myocardial perfusion SPECT, nuclear scan, and stress EKG procedures for Medicare patients than 75% of providers in related specialties within Massachusetts.

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2012 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. James E. Udelson, MD treated as a cardiologist in Boston, MA during 2012 were hospital care, inpatient care, stress testing and cardiac procedures.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. James E. Udelson, MD for Medicare patients.

cardiac procedures	202
doctor visit	159
hospital care	245
inpatient care	245
nuclear scan	202
stress testing	202

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2013 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. James E. Udelson, MD treated as a cardiologist in Boston, MA during 2013 were stress testing, cardiac procedures, nuclear scan and hospital care.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. James E. Udelson, MD for Medicare patients.

cardiac procedures	188
doctor visit	162
hospital care	98
inpatient care	98
nuclear scan	188
stress testing	188

2013 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. James E. Udelson, MD.

**Gender**
Male	479
Female	380

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	649
Black	69
Hispanic	42
Asian	83
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	329
From 75 to 84	230
85 and over	81
Less than 65	219

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. James E. Udelson, MD in 2013

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	67
Stroke	8
Ischemic Heart Disease	74
Depression	30
Chronic Kidney Disease	47
Asthma	14
Osteoperosis	10
Atrial Fibrilation	27
Heart Failure	50
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	24
Diabetes	39
Dementia	12
Cancer	14

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2014 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. James E. Udelson, MD treated as a cardiologist in Boston, MA during 2014 were hospital care, inpatient care, stress testing and cardiac procedures.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. James E. Udelson, MD for Medicare patients.

cardiac procedures	196
doctor visit	165
hospital care	292
inpatient care	292
nuclear scan	196
stress testing	196

2014 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. James E. Udelson, MD.

**Gender**
Male	515
Female	376

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	669
Black	79
Hispanic	48
Asian	83
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	344
From 75 to 84	239
85 and over	89
Less than 65	219

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. James E. Udelson, MD in 2014

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	68
Stroke	10
Ischemic Heart Disease	75
Depression	34
Chronic Kidney Disease	51
Asthma	12
Osteoperosis	8
Atrial Fibrilation	29
Heart Failure	51
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	25
Diabetes	42
Dementia	11
Cancer	11

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2015 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. James E. Udelson, MD treated as a cardiologist in Boston, MA during 2015 were stress testing, cardiac procedures, nuclear scan and hospital care.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. James E. Udelson, MD for Medicare patients.

cardiac procedures	202
doctor visit	171
hospital care	160
inpatient care	160
nuclear scan	202
stress testing	202

2015 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. James E. Udelson, MD.

**Gender**
Male	992
Female	752

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	1310
Black	154
Hispanic	86
Asian	148
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	674
From 75 to 84	468
85 and over	154
Less than 65	448

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. James E. Udelson, MD in 2015

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	67
Stroke	10
Ischemic Heart Disease	71
Depression	33
Chronic Kidney Disease	51
Asthma	21
Osteoperosis	11
Atrial Fibrilation	27
Heart Failure	46
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	25
Diabetes	39
Dementia	12
Cancer	13

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2016 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. James E. Udelson, MD treated as a cardiologist in Boston, MA during 2016 were stress testing, cardiac procedures, nuclear scan and hospital care.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. James E. Udelson, MD for Medicare patients.

cardiac procedures	182
doctor visit	209
hospital care	164
inpatient care	164
nuclear scan	182
stress testing	182

2016 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. James E. Udelson, MD.

**Gender**
Male	500
Female	395

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	675
Black	71
Hispanic	42
Asian	77
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	378
From 75 to 84	233
85 and over	92
Less than 65	192

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. James E. Udelson, MD in 2016

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	66
Stroke	10
Ischemic Heart Disease	73
Depression	33
Chronic Kidney Disease	50
Asthma	26
Osteoperosis	10
Atrial Fibrilation	29
Heart Failure	46
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	23
Diabetes	38
Dementia	14
Cancer	13

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2017 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. James E. Udelson, MD treated as a cardiologist in Boston, MA during 2017 were stress testing, cardiac procedures, nuclear scan and hospital care.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. James E. Udelson, MD for Medicare patients.

cardiac procedures	178
doctor visit	217
hospital care	127
inpatient care	127
nuclear scan	178
stress testing	178

2017 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. James E. Udelson, MD.

**Gender**
Male	441
Female	403

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	643
Black	71
Hispanic	0
Asian	74
Other	28
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	336
From 75 to 84	241
85 and over	104
Less than 65	163

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. James E. Udelson, MD in 2017

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	64
Stroke	11
Ischemic Heart Disease	73
Depression	33
Chronic Kidney Disease	55
Asthma	13
Osteoperosis	11
Atrial Fibrilation	29
Heart Failure	49
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	26
Diabetes	39
Dementia	16
Cancer	15

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2018 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. James E. Udelson, MD treated as a cardiologist in Boston, MA during 2018 were stress testing, cardiac procedures, nuclear scan and hospital care.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. James E. Udelson, MD for Medicare patients.

cardiac procedures	187
doctor visit	185
hospital care	184
inpatient care	184
nuclear scan	187
stress testing	187

2018 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. James E. Udelson, MD.

**Gender**
Male	512
Female	358

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	661
Black	63
Hispanic	48
Asian	62
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	364
From 75 to 84	247
85 and over	91
Less than 65	168

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. James E. Udelson, MD in 2018

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	70
Stroke	9
Ischemic Heart Disease	74
Depression	32
Chronic Kidney Disease	54
Asthma	12
Osteoperosis	9
Atrial Fibrilation	28
Heart Failure	48
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	26
Diabetes	36
Dementia	15
Cancer	15

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2019 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. James E. Udelson, MD treated as a cardiologist in Boston, MA during 2019 were stress testing, cardiac procedures, nuclear scan and hospital care.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. James E. Udelson, MD for Medicare patients.

cardiac procedures	196
doctor visit	171
hospital care	183
inpatient care	183
nuclear scan	196
stress testing	196

2019 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. James E. Udelson, MD.

**Gender**
Male	569
Female	388

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	731
Black	73
Hispanic	51
Asian	64
Other	38
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	402
From 75 to 84	275
85 and over	96
Less than 65	184

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. James E. Udelson, MD in 2019

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	74
Stroke	11
Ischemic Heart Disease	75
Depression	35
Chronic Kidney Disease	56
Asthma	11
Osteoperosis	11
Atrial Fibrilation	28
Heart Failure	52
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	21
Diabetes	37
Dementia	13
Cancer	14

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2020 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. James E. Udelson, MD treated as a cardiologist in Boston, MA during 2020 were hospital care, inpatient care, stress testing and cardiac procedures.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. James E. Udelson, MD for Medicare patients.

cardiac procedures	160
doctor visit	136
hospital care	221
inpatient care	221
nuclear scan	160
stress testing	160

2020 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. James E. Udelson, MD.

**Gender**
Male	470
Female	364

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	649
Black	64
Hispanic	40
Asian	53
Other	28
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	358
From 75 to 84	241
85 and over	92
Less than 65	143

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. James E. Udelson, MD in 2020

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	72
Stroke	12
Ischemic Heart Disease	73
Depression	34
Chronic Kidney Disease	59
Asthma	13
Osteoperosis	12
Atrial Fibrilation	33
Heart Failure	52
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	22
Diabetes	39
Dementia	15
Cancer	13

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2021 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. James E. Udelson, MD treated as a cardiologist in Boston, MA during 2021 were stress testing, cardiac procedures, nuclear scan and hospital care.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. James E. Udelson, MD for Medicare patients.

cardiac procedures	160
doctor visit	145
hospital care	152
inpatient care	152
nuclear scan	160
stress testing	160

2021 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. James E. Udelson, MD.

**Gender**
Male	457
Female	344

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	615
Black	57
Hispanic	45
Asian	49
Other	35
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	326
From 75 to 84	256
85 and over	81
Less than 65	138

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. James E. Udelson, MD in 2021

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	10
Ischemic Heart Disease	70
Depression	33
Chronic Kidney Disease	58
Asthma	13
Osteoperosis	11
Atrial Fibrilation	30
Heart Failure	54
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	25
Diabetes	41
Dementia	17
Cancer	15

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2022 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. James E. Udelson, MD treated as a cardiologist in Boston, MA during 2022 were stress testing, cardiac procedures, nuclear scan and hospital care.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. James E. Udelson, MD for Medicare patients.

cardiac procedures	268
doctor visit	126
hospital care	84
inpatient care	84
nuclear scan	164
stress testing	268

2022 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. James E. Udelson, MD.

**Gender**
Male	324
Female	225

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	409
Black	46
Hispanic	29
Asian	38
Other	27
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	208
From 75 to 84	187
85 and over	55
Less than 65	99

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. James E. Udelson, MD in 2022

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	17
Ischemic Heart Disease	57
Depression	30
Chronic Kidney Disease	49
Asthma	16
Osteoperosis	15
Atrial Fibrilation	38
Heart Failure	50
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	28
Diabetes	40
Dementia	12
Cancer	19

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

Average Medicare Procedure Volume From 2012 - 2022

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. James E. Udelson, MD for Medicare patients.

The highest averages for the top procedures that Dr. James E. Udelson, MD treated as a cardiologist in Boston, MA were stress testing, cardiac procedures, nuclear scan and hospital care.

cardiac procedures	192
doctor visit	167
hospital care	173
inpatient care	173
nuclear scan	183
stress testing	192

Average Medicare Patient Data From 2012 - 2022

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. James E. Udelson, MD.

**Gender**
Male	478
Female	362

**Ethnicity**
Black / African American	67
Asian / Pacific Islander	66
Non-Hispanic White	637
Hispanic	39
Native American / Alaskan Native	0
Other	14

**Age**
75 to 84	237
85 and over	85
Less than 65	179
65 to 74	338

Average of Total of Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. James E. Udelson, MD From 2012 - 2022

The highest averages of the most common conditions of Medicare patients that Dr. James E. Udelson, MD treated were hypertension, ischemic heart disease, high cholesterol and chronic kidney disease.

Hypertension	68
High Cholesterol	63
Stroke	9
Ischemic Heart Disease	65
Depression	29
Chronic Kidney Disease	48
Asthma	13
Osteoporosis	9
Heart Failure	45
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	22
Diabetes	35
Atrial Fibrillation	27
Cancer	12
Dementia	12

Education & Training

Dr. James E. Udelson, MD graduated from New York Medical College in 1981. He completed residency at Newton-Wellesley Hospital - Internal Medicine. He is certified by the Board Certification: Internal Medicine and has a state license in Massachusetts.

Medical School: New York Medical College (1981)

Residency: Newton-Wellesley Hospital - Internal Medicine (1984)

Board Certification: Board Certification: Internal Medicine

Licensed In: Massachusetts

Affiliations & Hospitals

Dr. James E. Udelson, MD is associated with these hospitals and organizations:

Tufts Medicine

Tufts Medical Center Cardiology Specialty Care

CARDIOVASCULAR CENTER AT TUFTS MEDICAL CENTER INC

Insurance Information

Please note: Insurance information may change at any time, and the provider may accept your insurance plan even if it is not listed below. Please contact the provider's office to confirm that your insurance is accepted.

Dr. James E. Udelson, MD appears to accept the following insurance providers: TMIN Cigna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, TMIN United Healthcare SCO, TMIN Unicare, Medicaid Wellforce Care Plan ACO (Fallon), Tufts Health Plan, BCBS Med Adv, TMIN Fallon Med Adv, Commonwealth Care Alliance, TMIN AllaraCare, TMIN Fallon, TMIN Fallon Navicare SCO, TMIN Aetna, TMIN Mass General Brigham Health Plan and Senior Whole Health.

Insurance Accepted by Provider includes:

According to our sources, Dr. James E. Udelson, MD accepts the following insurance providers:

TMIN Cigna

Blue Cross Blue Shield

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care

TMIN United Healthcare SCO

TMIN Unicare

Medicaid Wellforce Care Plan ACO (Fallon)

Tufts Health Plan

BCBS Med Adv

TMIN Fallon Med Adv

Commonwealth Care Alliance

TMIN AllaraCare

TMIN Fallon

TMIN Fallon Navicare SCO

TMIN Aetna

TMIN Mass General Brigham Health Plan

Senior Whole Health

Ratings & Reviews

Dr. James E. Udelson, MD has an exceptional overall rating with an average of 4.91 out of 5 stars based on 63 ratings. We collect ratings and reviews of Dr. James E. Udelson, MD from all over the web to help you find the right in Boston, MA.

4.91

Overall Rating

(63 Ratings)

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General Payments

These charts describe general payments received by Dr. James E. Udelson, MD. Doctors may receive payments for a number of reasons, including meal compensation, travel compensation, and consulting.

**Payments by Company**
Pfizer Inc.	$206,027 STEGLATRO $167,038	Non-Covered Product $36,000	VYNDAQEL $2,000	NonCovered Product $300	ELIQUIS $14	Other $675
Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.	$57,717 Non-Covered $17,267	$40,449
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation	$43,440 NON-PRODUCT $3,855	ZETIA $15	$39,570
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation	$41,899 Gilenya $38,135	NON_BRAND $3,764
CVRx, Inc.	$31,000 Barostim Neo System $31,000
Other	$219,486 SAMSCA $19,214	VNS Therapy $13,835	PRALUENT $12,528	VERQUVO $7,024	VELTASSA $6,348	Other $160,538

**Types of Payments**
Consulting Fee	$488,105
Compensation for serving as faculty or as a speaker for a non-accredited and noncertified continuing education program	$40,250
Travel and Lodging	$34,693
Compensation for services other than consulting, including serving as faculty or as a speaker at a venue other than a continuing education program	$30,225
Food and Beverage	$5,162
Other	$1,133

Research Payments

Dr. James E. Udelson, MD has received 8 research payments totaling $22,985.

Biography

Dr. James Udelson specializes in general practice and cardiology (heart disease). He has received a 5.0 out of 5 star rating by his patients. Areas of particular interest for Dr. Udelson include heart failure and preventive cardiology. Dr. Udelson is professionally affiliated with Tufts Medicine. Blue California, Cigna, and Medicaid seem to be the insurance carriers that Dr. Udelson accepts. Tufts Medicine reports that he is accepting new patients at his office in Boston, MA. Dr. Udelson obtained his medical school training at New York Medical College and performed his residency at Newton-Wellesley Hospital. Dr. Udelson's distinctions include: "Top Doctor", Boston Magazine; "Top Doctor," Boston Magazine; and "Top Doctor," U.S. News & World Report.