Heart

The heart is a muscular organ responsible for pumping blood through the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions, or a similar structure in the annelids, mollusks, and arthropods.^[1] The term cardiac (as in cardiology) means "related to the heart" and comes from the Greek καρδία, kardia, for "heart." The heart is composed of cardiac muscle, an involuntary muscle tissue which is found only within this organ.^[2] The average human heart beating at 72 BPM, will beat approximately 2.5 billion times during a lifetime of 66 years.

If you want your heart to be healthy for the rest of your life, follow this prescription:

1. Get plenty of exercise.

2. Follow a good diet.

3. Keep your heart clean and drug-free.

People who don't follow this prescription often develop some form of heart disease.

Be heart smart and have a healthy heart.

If you're like most people, you think that heart disease is a problem for other folks. But heart disease is the number one killer in the U.S. It is also a major cause of disability. There are many different forms of heart disease. The most common cause of heart disease is narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries, the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart itself. This is called coronary artery disease and happens slowly over time. It's the major reason people have heart attacks.

Other kinds of heart problems may happen to the valves in the heart, or the heart may not pump well and cause heart failure. Some people are born with heart disease.

You can help reduce your risk of heart disease by taking steps to control factors that put you at greater risk:

· Control your blood pressure

· Lower your cholesterol

· Don't smoke

· Get enough exercise