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The human heart is an extraordinary organ. Many of us take our hearts for granted and forget how important our hearts are. One thing for sure—if our hearts stop pumping, we stop living.

Therefore, it seems logical that a number one priority for us would be to take care of our hearts every day of our lives so that we are gifted with as many days of life as possible.

Most Americans not only ignore their hearts, but actually abuse their hearts. Unfortunately, our ignorance and our abuse can be fatal.

The human heart is an awesome wonder.

The heart beats sixty to eighty times a minute.
The heart beats about 100,000 times a day.
The heart beats 2.5 billion times in a 65 to 70 year lifetime.
The heart pumps 2,000 gallons of blood a day.
The heart pumps 50 million gallons of blood a lifetime.
The heart never stops working for us. It never rests or sleeps or takes a break.

Just how big a problem is heart disease in this country?

· 50% of all Americans or approximately 1,000,000 people die from heart disease every year.

· 1.25 million people suffer from heart attacks every year.

· 4,000 heart attacks occur every day.

· 50% of all heart attacks are fatal.

· 50% of all fatal heart attacks had no prior symptoms.

· Over 50% of all heart attacks occur in people under 65 years old.

Let’s take a closer look at the miracle that we call the human heart. The heart muscle stays healthy by receiving oxygen and nutrients from the two major blood vessels, the coronary arteries, which resemble two trunks of a tree.

The heart muscle is also feed by the tiny branches that come from the two major arteries, called the arterioles. These little branches spread out over the surface of the heart to get the nutrient- and oxygen-rich blood to the heart cells.

Exercise increases the number of arterioles. In other words, the more one exercises, the more arterioles are created to meet the demands of getting oxygen to the body. A sedentary person can actually grow more arterioles, or blood vessels, if he or she starts exercising more.

The blood brings life-giving elements, nutrients and oxygen to the cells, and carries away toxins, carbon dioxide and disease causing agents, like viruses and bacteria away from the cells.

The condition of your vessels and your blood has everything to do with what you eat and what you breathe.

The most common misconception about heart attacks is:

Most heart attacks are caused by blockages of the two major coronary arteries.

The truth is about 95% of all heart attacks are not caused by blockages of large coronary arteries but by blockages in the smaller arteries, the arterioles.

In fact, most heart attacks occur in people whose major arteries are open, not closed.

How does a heart attack occur?

Heart attacks are caused by a two step process as described by Dr. John McDougall, M.D., in his book, The McDougall Program for a Healthy Heart:

1. The formation of atherosclerosis in the blood vessels

Blood vessels consist of three layers: The outer tough layer, the inner smooth membrane to allow the free passage of the blood, and the layer between the two which is made of strong, elastic muscle.

The inner lining gets damaged from radiation, smoking, trans fatty acids, animal protein, fat, and cholesterol, coffee, processed foods, and refined carbohydrates.

Sores (plaque) form in the arteries and fat and cholesterol collect underneath this damaged lining. These sores fester and get inflamed. These sores are like little boils or pimples in the blood vessels.

2. A crack or fissure happens in the surface of the plaque or pimple and the contents spurt out. The body rushes to repair the damage by making a clot around it to contain it. If the clot gets too big due to sticky platelets caused by excess fat in the diet and sluggish blood, it can and does block off the blood supply. The result: a heart attack, stroke, blood clot in the legs or lungs, kidney failure, impotence, macular degeneration, or even deafness.

So you see? The major cause of death in this country is not heart attacks or heart disease at all. It is the disease of the blood vessels that can and does affect all parts of the body and lead to early diseases and conditions and premature death.

Dr. Leslie Van Romer is a health motivational speaker, writer, and lifestyle coach. Visit http://www.DrLeslieVanRomer.com for more inspiration.

Written by: Dr. Leslie Van Romer

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