10 Surprising Facts about Heart You May Not Have Known
14Jun 2022

Did you know that Heart has the strongest muscles in your body? It is because it needs to pump around 2000 gallons of blood every day through a system of blood vessels that stretch up to 60,000 miles.

Well! This is one of the many surprising facts that you have not read yet. In this article, we will cover more such facts.

Let us have a look at some medical facts first:

The heart is part of your body’s circulatory system. The main parts of heart are:

• Atria
• Ventricles
• Valves
• Arteries
• Veins

Human heart has four chambers namely:

Atria:

• Upper left atrium
• Upper Right atrium

Ventricles:

• Lower left ventricle
• Lower right ventricle

The weight of an average adult human heart is in the range of 300 grams to 350 grams.

The shape of your heart almost similar to the shape of your fist.

And, the size of your heart is about the size of your two hands clasped together.

Though these facts are taught to us since school but let us now cover some other astonishing facts about your heart.

1. Largest and Smallest

Whales have the largest heart of any mammal. And, the Fairy Fly, which is a kind of wasp, has the smallest heart of any living creature.

2. Beat up!

Your heart will beat about 1,15,000 times a day. The beating sound that you hear is the clap of valve leaflets opening and closing.

More interesting is the fact that a women’s average heartbeat is faster than a man’s by almost 8 beats per minute. Considering the fact that women work so hard, it is much needed.

It works non-stop right from the fetal stage to the last day of your life. And more fun fact is that the heart can continue beating even when it is disconnected from the body.

3. Heart loves your laugh

We all know that regular exercise is the single most important key to healthy heart but apart from that, a number of studies have shown that a good, hearty and hard laugh could propel 20% more blood through the body relaxing the walls of your blood vessels. It reduces stress and gives a boost to your immune system.

Thus, happiness and laughter help lower your risk of heart disease. Therefore, keep smiling not just for cute look but also for healthy heart.

4. Heart is an Energy House

In a lifetime, the heart produces energy that is sufficient to drive a standard truck or bus to the moon and back.

5. Electrical Supply of Heart

The heart has its own electrical supply as a result it can continue to beat when separated from the body. This electric system generates the signals that make the heartbeat.

6. Monday blues

Most heart attacks happen on a Monday. Yes! You read it right, the European Journal of Epidemiology also published a study claiming that the chances of men getting a heart attack were 20% higher and 15% for women on Mondays.

7. Invention for Heart

The earliest known case of heart disease was identified in the remains of a 3,500 year-old Egyptian mummy. Thus, heart disease has been there since time immemorial. However, innovations in science and technology have helped us to control it. Some of invention related to heart are:

• Stethoscope: Modesty prompted the invention of the stethoscope. Before it existed, doctors had to press their ears directly to each patient’s chest.
• Open-heart surgery: The first open-heart surgery occurred in 1893. It was performed by Daniel Hale Williams, who was one of the few black cardiologists in the United States at the time.
• Pacemaker: The first implantable pacemaker was used in 1958. Arne Larsson, who received the pacemaker, lived longer than the surgeon who implanted it.
• Heart Transplant: The youngest person to receive heart surgery was only a minute old.

8. Broken Heart Syndrome

Sometimes when you are sad, you might feel like that your heart is sinking. It is like your heart is breaking. It is possible to have a broken heart and it is called broken heart syndrome and it can have similar symptoms as a heart attack.

The difference is that a heart attack is from heart disease and broken heart syndrome is caused by a rush of stress hormones from an emotional or physical stress event.

Death from a broken heart, or broken heart syndrome, is possible but extremely rare.

9. Curious case of Corneas

Every cell in the body gets blood from the heart, except for the corneas. Because, it does not have blood vessels and it receives nutrients via diffusion from the tear fluid at the outside and the aqueous humour at the inside.

10. Secret for Healthy Heart

Do you know runners of any speed have 45% lower risk of heart disease or stroke?

This explains the secret for healthy heart, that is, exercise at least three times a week, eat a balanced diet and try to stay away from stress.

Conclusion

Heart is a wonderful piece of machinery that pumps blood through your entire body. It is responsible for providing the oxygen needed by your body and helping to regulate your body temperature.

Despite its importance and important role, heart disease still remains one of the leading causes of death in the India and around the world. I hope that this article highlighted how necessary it is to keep our heart healthy.