Central Carolina HEALTH - Spring 2011 - (Page 14)

Beneath the surface Your heart works hard 24/7 without you even having to think about it. Get a glimpse into how it functions— and how you can make its job easier is an amazing organ. From the moment it starts beating—at around 21 days after conception— the heart works tirelessly sustaining life and pumping blood throughout the body. But have you really stopped to think about how hard the heart works during your lifetime? The human heart Keeping You Afloat You’ve certainly heard that the heart is a pump, but it’s really like two pumps in one. Using a system of valves, the right side of the heart receives blood from your body and pumps it to the lungs, and the left side of the heart receives blood from the lungs and pumps it back into the body. The valves open to let blood move ahead and close to keep blood flowing backward. At about 72 beats per minute, your “ticker” will beat 37,843,200 times per year—that’s 6 million more ticks than a wristwatch! But let’s put into perspective the amount of effort on your heart’s part by looking at how many gallons it pumps each year. First, think of the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher over on our beautiful coast. The Cape Fear Shoals exhibit filled with sharks and ocean life holds 235,000 gallons. The average human heart pumps 730,000 gallons every year. That’s a lot of work for a muscle that weighs between 9 to 12 ounces. Heart disease has been the leading cause of death in the United States for the past 80 years. That’s why you hear so much about heart disease in the news, and partly because some risk factors are preventable. You clearly can’t change your genetics, age or gender, but you can change your lifestyle. According to The Heart Truth, women can lower their risk of heart disease by as much as 82 percent by leading a healthy lifestyle. gallons 730,000 The amount your heart pumps each year. By comparison, this shark tank exhibit at the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher only holds 235,000 gallons. 14 | s P r i n g 2 0 1 1 Photo Provided by Amy Kilgore, Public relAtions coordinAtor, north cArolinA AquArium At Fort Fisher, Kure beAch, n.c.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Central Carolina HEALTH - Spring 2011

Central Carolina HEALTH - Spring 2011
From the CEO
Contents
Health Beat
Step By Step
Q+A
The Sun and Your Skin
Heart Smart
Beneath the Surface

Central Carolina HEALTH - Spring 2011