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The heart, in a human body, may perhaps be as small as a fist, but its function is terrific. It is the heart that pumps "blood via the circulatory technique by rhythmic contraction and dilation." If the heart stops pumping sufficient blood to any component of the body, stroke happens. If the heart stops functioning, death occurs.
The heart is an vital organ in the physique that should be healthy. It is as a result inevitable to wholesome heart. For these who do not spend focus to their heart matter, the medical professional mince no word in saying the consequences could be also grievous.
Weighing involving seven and 15 ounces (200 to 425 grams), the heart beats an typical of one hundred, 000- times day-to-day, pumping about 7, 571 litres of blood. In one’s lifetime, one’s heart may well have beat more than 3.5 billion times.
The heart is positioned involving the lungs, at the middle of the chest, "behind and slightly to the left of your breastbone (sternum)."
According to the Texas Heart Institute, there is "a double-layered membrane referred to as the pericardium" surrounding the heart like a sac. "The outer layer of the pericardium surrounds the roots of your heart’s important blood vessels and is attached by ligaments to your spinal column, diaphragm, and other parts of your physique. The inner layer of the pericardium is attached to the heart muscle. A coating of fluid separates the two layers of membrane, letting the heart move as it beats," the institute mentioned in a publication on texasheart.org.
On the anatomy of the heart, the institute mentioned: "Your heart has 4 chambers. The upper chambers are known as the left and appropriate atria, and the reduce chambers are named the left and proper ventricles. A wall of muscle called the septum separates the left and correct atria and the left and appropriate ventricles. The left ventricle is the biggest and strongest chamber in your heart. The left ventricle’s chamber walls are only about a half-inch thick, but they have sufficient force to push blood via the aortic valve and into your physique."


How the heart functions
Tanya Lewis, in a paper, "Human Heart: Anatomy, Function & Information," published in livescience.com, underlines the way the heart works, in performing its duty of pumping blood to all components of the body.
According to Lewis, the "heart circulates blood via two pathways: the pulmonary circuit and the systemic circuit. In the pulmonary circuit, deoxygenated blood leaves the appropriate ventricle of the heart via the pulmonary artery and travels to the lungs, then returns as oxygenated blood to the left atrium of the heart via the pulmonary vein.
"In the systemic circuit, oxygenated blood leaves the body via the left ventricle to the aorta, and from there enters the arteries and capillaries exactly where it supplies the body’s tissues with oxygen. Deoxygenated blood returns via veins to the venae cavae, re-entering the heart’s proper atrium."
Lewis quoted Dr. Lawrence Phillips, a cardiologist at NYU Langone Health-related Center, in New York, the United States, as saying blockage of any of these arteries can bring about a heart attack or harm to the muscle of the heart.
"A heart attack is distinct from cardiac arrest, which is a sudden loss of heart function that normally happens as a result of electrical disturbances of the heart rhythm. A heart attack can lead to cardiac arrest, but the latter can also be triggered by other issues," he quoted Dr. Phillips as saying.
Lewis wrote that a healthier heart contraction occurs in 5 stages. "In the very first stage (early diastole), the heart is relaxed. Then the atrium contracts (atrial systole) to push blood into the ventricle. Next, the ventricles start off contracting without having altering volume. Then the ventricles continue contracting whilst empty. Lastly, the ventricles stop contracting and loosen up. Then the cycle repeats," he mentioned.


An unhealthy heart
A consultant cardiologist and Health-related Director of United Heart Hospital and Clinics, Eugene Azubuike Nwosu, mentioned heart-related ailments, also recognized as cardiovascular disease, was the second major trigger of death globally.
He identified some of the threat elements for heart disease to be: Eating poorly old age higher blood stress diabetes, irregular physical exercise, high cholesterol in the physique, smoking, loved ones history, stress, pollution and poor dental hygiene.
Dr. Nwosu gave assurance that when specific precautions are taken, the risk aspects could be minimised or eliminated, insisting that the key to overcoming cardiovascular infections was consuming the correct foods and avoiding sedentary lifestyle.
He stated the key issues related with the heart were the Coronary Artery illness (CAD) - the create-up of plague that clogs up the inside of blood vessels supplying blood to the heart muscle tissues.
He stated CAD impacts all, with no respect to race, nationality or gender, adding that it is the commonest result in of sudden death.
He said: "Most sudden death in Nigeria is not Juju it is heart attack. The incidence in Nigeria and the developing globe is on the rise simply because of numerous aspects, which includes altering life types and diet program, rising obesity and diabetes epidemics amongst other individuals.
"In order to reduce the incidence, we will have to recognise the threat elements and take action to modify these risks. The a lot more the quantity of danger variables an individual has, the higher his or her threat of creating the disease."


Coronary artery illness
Specialists say family background/history, age, weight/obesity, hypertension, smoking, diabetes, and sedentary way of life could trigger heart ailments.
Investigation shows that a individual, whose sibling, parents or grandparents have had early heart attacks by age 55, for male relatives and age of 65 for female relatives, is at improved risk of heart illness.
1 age, heart diseases raise in men from age 45 or older and for girls age 55 or older, but pretty high in elderly population of 75 and older.
Dr. Nwosu stated: "Incidence of CAD is greater in males but women’s danger improve soon after menopause, when the protective impact of estrogen is lost."


Hypertension: This is a important danger. It happens at younger age in individuals of African descents and is usually extra severe. It is a silent killer due to the fact in most individuals, it does not have any symptoms. It is imperative that the diagnosis is produced and proper treatment to objective is accomplished.


Smoking: Direct smoking and extended-term exposure to second-hand smoke boost the risk of heart attack. Smoking increases blood stress, decreases workout tolerance and increases the tendency for blood to clot. It also increases the danger of recurrent coronary heart illness right after bypass surgery.
"Cigarette smoking is the most vital danger element for young guys and ladies it produces a greater relative danger in persons beneath age 50 than in those over 50. Females who smoke and use oral contraceptives tremendously increase their risk of coronary heart disease and stroke compared with non-smoking women who use oral contraceptives," Nwosu mentioned.


Obesity: as well a great deal weight or fat increases danger of heart disease. In obesity, exactly where you carry your fat, is incredibly vital. Apple shape has excess fat on the abdomen and has significant correlation with metabolic syndrome. Pear shape has lower body fat with excess fat on the thighs and buttocks. It has no substantial correlation with metabolic syndrome.
One good advice consequently is eating an apple but do not turn out to be a single. Obesity is associated with high cholesterol, higher triglyceride and diabetes. Losing ten per cent of your physique weight can reduce your danger.


Sedentary way of life: Lack of exercise and physical activity increase the danger of heart attack. Persons that are out of shape do poorly following heart attack and take longer to recover. Physical inactivity identifies individuals who do not get the advised level of common physical activity. Regular physical activity reduces the threat of dying prematurely from CAD. It assists to stop development of diabetes and to sustain weight loss and reduces hypertension.
Dr. Nwosu explained that the tiny plaque construct-up that occupies significantly less than 70 per cent of the cross-sectional region of the coronary vessels typically have no symptoms, but are the usual cause of sudden cardiac death (cardiac arrest) and acute heart attack by the process of plaque rupture.
He stated: "Plaque build-up of higher than 70 per cent of the cross sectional area of the coronary arteries can bring about angina, which is defined as chest discomfort, tightness or heaviness that is brought on by exertion. Emotion strain can also lead to angina. Other names that are employed to describe coronary artery disease are heart attack, myocardial infarction, angina, atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.
"The effects of plaque make-up are that, occasionally its significant plaque over the years may well affect coronary vessels depriving the heart muscles sufficient provide of blood and nutrients. This final results in weak heart muscles and heart failure.’


Food and heart failure
When Hippocrates said, in 400BC: "Let food be your medicine and medicine be your meals," he was stating the significance of meals to the body. It is not surprising, as a result, that Nwosu is advising Nigerians to steer clear of poor diet, specially higher fat, higher cholesterol diet. He stressed the will need to eat ideal and take note of what a single eats.
In his words: "Traditional western diets promote inflammation and are toxic to our bodies. There are higher in salt, very simple sugars, processed food with preservatives, poor fat and low on magnesium and potassium. Our consumption of such diet program has a lot to do with increased trend of obesity, hypertension, diabetes, stroke, heart illness and death.
"The most effective eating plan proved to lower heart attack and CAD is Mediterranean diet plan: a way of life that involves meals (colourful fruits, vegetables, entire grain bread and pasta, omega-3- wealthy seafood) activities, meals with close friends and family members and wine in moderation with meals.
"Several studies have shown that these following a standard Mediterranean diet regime suffer drastically less heart illness and death from heart attack compared to these following standard American diet regime. Mediterranean diet regime is extremely low in saturated fat and consists of no trans-fat," Dr. Nwosu said.
He warned against sugar cereal, potato chips, French fries, grilled steak, cheese cake, butter, soda, and high omega-6 fat diet plan. Omega-six fat, according to him, is poor fat and located in vegetable oil and red meat. It promotes inflammation whereas omega-3 fat discovered in walnuts, flaxseed, and fish is good fat and anti-inflammatory.
Processed foods are also not good for the heart, as, according to authorities, they "have been stripped of their healthful components and are loaded with artificial preservatives. They contain excessive amounts of unhealthy fats, refined sugar and sodium."
Consumption of red meat, which is meat preserved by smoking, curing, salting or addition of chemical preservatives, really should be decreased, to preserve the heart healthier, as it is higher in saturated fats, which raise poor cholesterol. It is and is higher in Omega six fatty acid, which promotes inflammation. Fish, poultry or turkey several instances per week is better.


Steps for superior heart well being
Dr. Nwosu advised the following actions to assure a healthful heart:


• Exercising of ten-minute stroll: Physical activities aimed at producing heat in the body, like jogging, cycling and press-up enable the heart to perform far better. Having said that, when there is no time for workout, a short walk, clapping and marching are a terrific way to start out. If you do, it’s a very good way to add additional workout to your day.


• Give oneself a lift: Lifting a hardcover book or a two-pound weight a few times a day can assistance tone your arm muscles. When that becomes a breeze, move on to heavier products or join a gym.


• Consume a single extra fruit or vegetable a day: Fruits and vegetables are cheap, taste very good, and are great for every thing from your brain to your bowels. Start the day with some fruit and a serving of entire grains, like oatmeal, bran flakes, or complete-wheat toast.


• Cease drinking your calories: Cutting out just a single sugar-sweetened soda or calorie-laden latte can quickly save you 100 or additional calories a day. More than a year, that can translate into a ten-pound weight loss.


• Have a handful of nuts: Walnuts, almonds, peanuts, and other nuts are fantastic for your heart. Attempt grabbing some as an alternative of chips or cookies when you need a snack. Adding them to salads for a healthful and tasty crunch, or applying them in spot of meat in pasta and other dishes is very good.


• Sample the fruits of the sea: Consume fish or other varieties of seafood rather of red meat as soon as a week. It’s fantastic for the heart, the brain, and the waistline.


• Breathe deeply: Attempt breathing gradually and deeply for a handful of minutes a day. It can enable you unwind. Slow, deep breathing may also support lower blood stress.


• Wash your hands normally: Scrubbing up with soap and water generally through the day is a good way to guard your heart and health. The flu, pneumonia, and other infections can be really difficult on the heart.