Our Heart and Its Most Threatening Enemy
The Most Efficient Engine On Earth
The blood is the sole liquid tissue found in the body of a human. Made up of both white and red blood cells as well as plasma and clotting agents known as platelets, blood functions as an intermediary between all parts of the body. It transports a variety of substances, including nutrients, hormones, and oxygen, while aiding in the balance of acid and base. It is vital to ensure that blood flows continuously from head to toe. If there is no blood flow, the brain cells start to die in just five minutes. Naturally, your heart functions as the body that is responsible for the flow of blood, and for so long as it’s doing this, it is working.
The heart is basically an organ made up of connective tissue and muscle that circulates blood through blood vessels. With a weight of around 300 grams, it is able to fit into an individual’s palm. Despite its size, it is one of the most amazing marvels in the world. Within a single day, it expands over 100,000 times and pumps around 2,000 gallons of blood. It continues to do this day in and day out until the point of death. With a human life expectancy of 79 years, the strength that this organ has is impressive. A car engine is made using the strongest materials that exist. Aluminum, steel, titanium, and iron are employed to guarantee strength and stability. However, the possibility exists to drive a car for 20 years and not have an engine malfunction; that’s 20 years of non-stop use. The average human heart pumps four times more frequently without stopping for even a brief breath.
A Hard Working Muscle
As muscles work, the more it is worked out, the stronger it gets, which reduces the amount of pumps needed to carry an equal amount of blood. In the average normal adult, their heart rate ranges between 60 to 100 beats per minute. The conditioned heart of an athlete who has been trained to the highest level may beat as little as 40 times in a minute at rest, which is more than double the effectiveness of the elite average.
Myocytes, also known as muscle cells, leave the cell cycle within a few hours of birth, which means that the majority of cells in the heart never divide. The most common type of growth in the heart is the growth of size, not the number. The heart cells that die in our bodies are the exact ones that we had when we were born. These cellular characteristics are essential to the functioning of the heart. However, they also mean that we all must be aware of the way we treat our hearts, as they are not able to heal and recover like other parts that comprise the body. Unfortunately, the increase in unhealthy eating habits and a lack of exercise in the United States has created significant issues for our hearts– problems that could be fatal.
Heart Disease: A Problematic Pandemic
The term “heart disease” (cardiovascular condition) is an umbrella term that refers to a variety of heart diseases. The most commonly encountered kind of heart disease that is prevalent within the United States is known as coronary artery disease (CAD), which is an illness that can affect the flow of blood to the heart and can lead to a heart attack when ignored.
Based on the CDC, heart disease is the most common cause of death in both women and men across the United States, with heart disease responsible for one in four deaths in the United States. More than $219 billion is annually spent to cover the cost of health care medicine, services, and productivity loss caused by fatalities related to heart disease. The number of people suffering from coronary artery diseases is growing rapidly, with a forecast to exceed the 20 million mark of U.S. citizens in the next few years, which is above 5 percent of the population.
Heart disease can be devastating. Interestingly, the factors that increase the risk of the deadly disease are mostly avoidable.
It is possible to notice that risk factors like an unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity, and being overweight can be prevented easily with the help of a few consistent steps implemented. Simple changes to your lifestyle could make a huge difference in battling this deadly illness.
Let’s Work on a Solution
While there are a variety of ways to treat ailments through surgeries and medication, the most effective method generally is a preventative approach rather than an immediate remedy. That is why we must all focus on the overall health and well-being of our bodies.
Attention to the food we consume and making time to exercise moderately 3-4 times per week will drastically reduce the risk of heart disease and could reduce the risk of deaths caused by the disease. The fight for heart health is a personal one, and each of us can lower the chance of our bodies becoming afflicted with the disease.
We are Total Health and Fitness. We work with people to improve their overall health by implementing specific diet and fitness plans. An investment of just a few minutes and effort every day can bring years of life to our lives and change our body and mind over the long term. If you have questions regarding how to enhance your overall health, we’d be more than happy to provide you with the resources you require.
