The Human Heart
Heart Health
 Heart health depends on a variety of factors that mirror human life
itself.
Eat an unhealthy diet, and eventually your heart will suffer consequences.
Live a sedentary lifestyle, denying your body the exercise it needs to keep yourself strong
healthy, and at some point your heart is likely to weaken along with your other muscles.
If there is emotional or psychological stress in your life, it will affect the performance of your
heart.
It's an understatement to say that the heart is one of the most important organs in the human body,
because if the heart stops functioning, death follows moments later. That makes the heart pretty important.
Many other bodily functions will degrade or stop if the heart isn't working properly, because those
bodily functions depend on the oxygen and nutrients that blood carries to them--blood pumped there by the
heart.
The heart really is just a pump--a magnificent pump, an incredibly durable pump, an absolutely
remarkable pump to be sure--but in the end it is basically a hard-working muscle that provides the force that
pushes blood throughout our system.
It provides this force by beating approximately 72 times per minute, more during exercise or
stress, our entire lives.
The heart is about the size of your fist and it works by expanding and contracting. The heart is
different from other muscles in the sense that each time it contracts, it does so with all its force. Skeletal
muscles can be made to contract quickly or slowly. Not so with the heart. Every time it beats, it "gives you all
its got."
There is more to be said about the heart, what the heart does and the diseases and conditions that
affect it, than can be covered in one website. So we'll choose some of the topics and information that's most often
sought by people searching on the Internet to share with you. Current articles include the following.
A leading cause of death around the world. This
article describes what happens during a heart attack, what causes it, risk factors, and prevention
options. A heart attack is also called a myocardial infarction.
This is the most common cause of heart attacks. Many people have only a vague understanding of
heart disease. To learn more about it, click on coronary or ischaemic heart
disease.
This articles describes the differences between congenital heart disease, congestive heart failure,
coronary heart disease, pulmonary heart disease, and rheumatic heart disease.
Are you confused when you hear words like target heart rate, maximum heart rate, exercise heart
rate and "fat burning heart rate?" This article on various heart rate
terms explains them. You'll also find quick information on low heart
rate.
When you tell someone "my heart skipped a beat," you're probably not referring to this particular
type of interruption in your heart rhythm. It's usually not dangerous, but it can be a symptom of
other problems that may need medical attention.
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