July 11, 2023

Is Your Heart At Risk?

This hollow, muscular pump is a key organ of the circulatory system. It is located between the lungs, just a little to the left of the chest cavity. The size of the heart is as a large fist weighing about 8 to 10 ounces in females and 10 to 12 ounces in males.

The heart usually pumps about 60 to 100 beats per minute. As it beats, oxygenated blood is sent throughout the body alongside other key nutrients. The heart pumps about 6 quarts of blood throughout the body and never takes a break. The number of times the heart beats can also change based on the situation. It beats regularly throughout the day, however, the number of beats increase when an individual is exercising or becomes afraid due to the increasing need for oxygen. The number of beats decreases when the body is at rest or asleep due to the decrease needs of oxygen.

It is amazing the fact that Newborns heart rate is higher than adults. Their little heart beats about 70-190 beats per minute as compared to adults, which is 60-100 beats per minute.

CVDs are the number 1 cause of death globally: more people die annually from CVDs than from any other cause. An estimated 17.7 million people died from CVDs in 2015, representing 31% of all global deaths. Of these deaths, an estimated 7.4 million were due to coronary heart disease and 6.7 million were due to stroke according to the World Health Organization.

Lifestyle:

Is definitely a factor that increases the risk of atherosclerosis, meaning narrowing of arteries.

Smoking:

Increases the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, which includes coronary heart disease and stroke. Smoking damages the lining of your arteries, leading to a build up of fatty material (atheroma) which narrows the artery. This can cause angina, a heart attack or a stroke according to the British Heart Foundation.

Hypertension (high blood pressure): Uncontrolled high blood pressure can damage your heart; it can lead to coronary artery disease. Coronary artery disease affects the arteries that supply blood to your heart muscle. Arteries narrowed by coronary artery disease don’t allow blood to flow freely through your arteries.

Recent Blogs