TODAY IS WORLD HEART DAY : DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO PREVENT CVD

 

The heart is a muscular organ that pumps blood throughout the body via the circulatory system, which is made up of the heart, blood and blood vessels. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrients to tissues and organs through the blood vessels, while carrying away metabolic waste such as carbon dioxide.

The heart is a muscular organ that pumps blood throughout the body via the circulatory system, which is made up of the heart, blood and blood vessels. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrients to tissues and organs through the blood vessels, while carrying away metabolic waste such as carbon dioxide.

 

In humans, the heart is around the size of a large fist and sits between the lungs, in the middle compartment of the chest, slightly to the left of centre. The heart beats around 100,000 times and pumps up to 7,500 litres of blood every day.

In humans, the heart is around the size of a large fist and sits between the lungs, in the middle compartment of the chest, slightly to the left of centre. The heart beats around 100,000 times and pumps up to 7,500 litres of blood every day.

Did you know that your heart is the size of your fist and the strongest muscle in your body? It started beating about three weeks after you were conceived. If you live to be 70, it will have beaten two and a half billion times. However, although impressive and strong, your heart can also become vulnerable to habitual risk factors like smoking, diabetes, cholesterol, eating an unhealthy diet, or living with high blood pressure.

The system can also be weakened from a pre-existing heart condition and other physiological factors, including hypertension or high blood cholesterol. When your heart’s functions become compromised, this is known as cardiovascular disease, a broad term that covers any disorder to the system that has the heart at its centre.

CVD is a class of diseases that affect the heart or blood vessels (veins and arteries). More people die from CVD worldwide than from any other cause: over 20.5 million every year. Of these deaths, 85% are due to coronary heart diseases (e.g heart attacks) and cerebrovascular diseases (e.g. strokes) and mostly affect low- and middle-income countries Cardiovascular disease (CVD) refers to a group of health conditions that affect the heart and blood vessels. These conditions can lead to serious health problems. Here are the key points:

1. What is CVD?

   • Cardiovascular disease includes various disorders related to the heart and blood vessels.
   • It’s a major health issue globally, causing more deaths than anything else—over 20.5 million people each year.

2. Types of CVD:

   • The two main types are:
     • Coronary heart diseases: These include heart attacks and other problems related to the blood vessels supplying the heart.
     • Cerebrovascular diseases: These involve issues with blood vessels in the brain, such as strokes.
   • These conditions disproportionately affect low- and middle-income countries.

3. Fun Heart Facts:

   • Your heart is about the size of your fist and is the strongest muscle in your body.
   • It starts beating just three weeks after you’re conceived!
   • Over a lifetime, it will beat an incredible two and a half billion times.

4. Risk Factors:

   • Certain habits and health conditions can weaken your heart:
     • Smoking
     • Diabetes
     • High cholesterol
     • Unhealthy diet
     • High blood pressure (hypertension)

5. When Things Go Wrong:

   • If your heart’s functions become compromised due to any of these factors, it’s called cardiovascular disease.
   • Essentially, any disorder affecting the heart or its blood vessels falls under this broad term.

Remember, taking care of your heart through a healthy lifestyle can make a big difference!