We know the heart is essential, so why not learn some amazing facts about it? The following are 15 interesting facts about your heart.
While you may not think about your heart much, your heart still pumps away to keep you alive and healthy. To celebrate your body’s hardest working muscle, we’ve compiled a list of 15 interesting facts about your heart. Enjoy!
1. The Heart Beats Over 2.5 Billion Times
Since the adult heart beats approximately 100,000 times per day (or 60 to 100 beats per minute), it means a human heart will beat over 2.5 billion times in an average lifetime.
2. Physically Fit People Have Slower Heart Rates
While your heart rate changes as you age, another factor that can affect it is fitness. In fact, the fitter you get, the slower your heart rate.
3. Your Heart Is As Big As Your Hands
If you clasp your hands together in a double fist, then you’ll have a good idea of your heart’s size. However, certain illnesses and conditions can also enlarge your heart.
4. Women Have Different Heart Attack Symptoms
Men will usually experience sweating, crushing chest pain, and nausea. In contrast, women report shortness of breath, fainting, lightheadedness, dizziness, lower chest pain, upper abdomen pain, and upper back pressure.
5. Heart Disease Is Not Picky
Heart disease is the leading cause of death among both men and women. In fact, heart disease kills more women than most cancers combined.
6. Depression Affects Your Heart Health
Mental health is not your only concern when dealing with depression. Individuals with depression, especially women, have a higher risk of experiencing a heart attack.
7. All Your Heart Needs Is O2
Fun fact: your heart can continue to beat even if it’s separated from your body so long as it’s receiving oxygen.
8. Your Heart Needs Positive Thoughts
One way to decrease your risk of heart disease is by having a strong sense of emotional vitality and overall happiness.
9. Pacemakers Used to Have Plugs
Back in the day, the first pacemakers were plugged into a wall socket.
10. Modesty Propelled the Stethoscope
Before the invention of the stethoscope, doctors had to put their ears directly on the patient’s chest.
11. It Takes Four Weeks to Start Beating
The heart starts beating four weeks after conception.
12. What Makes the Heart Beat Sound
The beating sound of your heart is made by its four valve leaflets closing.
13. You Can Fill A Truck With Your Blood
The heart pumps 1.5 gallons of blood per minute. In other words, it can pump enough blood to fill over three supertanker trucks in an average lifespan.
14. Your Heart Supports Trillions of Cells
The human body contains about 75 trillion cells and your heart pumps blood to almost all of them except your corneas.
15. Activity Level Is The Greatest Factor for Heart Disease
While your genetics may play a role, your activity level has more of an impact when it comes to your risk of heart disease. If you’re able, follow the American Heart Association’s recommendations of getting at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week.
The Outlook
We hope you enjoyed learning a bit more about your heart. While some of these facts were definitely “fun”, others are important to keep in mind if you want to take care of your heart.
In addition to exercise, another thing you can do to give your heart an extra boost is by taking supplements like HeartBeet Complete. Its ingredients are effective at promoting circulation, blood pressure, energy levels, and more. It’s important to know about your heart, but also to support it, so start doing it with HeartBeet Complete.
