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30 Facts About Your Heart – Your life depends on this incredible organ doing its job 24/7

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As you go through your day, you probably don’t spend much time thinkingabout your heart and all that it’s doing. But let’s take a few moments to appreciate this life-sustaining organ in your chest.

Your heart starts beating well before you’re born and continues its rhythmic work until the day you die. That’s just the start (and end) of its amazing story, though.

Here are a few more heart-related facts, courtesy of cardiologist Brian Griffin, MD.

1.       Your heart beats about 100,000 times per day. During the average person’s lifetime, their heart beats more than 2.6 billion times. (Your pulse is a way you can feel your heart beating.)

2.       The beating sound from your heart — lub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dub — is from the clap of valve leaflets opening and closing.

3.       A typical human heart valve is about the size of a half dollar.

4.       Each minute, your heart pumps nearly 1.5 gallons (5.7 liters) of blood. That’s a pump flow rate that could fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool in less than a year. (Talk about a gold medal effort!)

5.       Your adult-sized heart is about the size of two hands clasped together. A child’s heart is about the size of a single fist.

6.       Location is everything in life, right? That’s true for your heart, too. It’s located in the front of your chest, slightly behind and to the left of your breastbone. Your ribs offer extra protection for the vital organ.

7.       To make room for your heart, your left lung is slightly smaller than your right lung.

8.       Your heart weighs somewhere between 7 ounces and 15 ounces (200 grams to 425 grams), or less than a pound. The average male’s heart weighs 2 ounces (57 grams) more than the average female’s heart.

9.       For comparison’s sake, a blue whale — the world’s largest animal — has a heart weighing more than 1,000 pounds. A person could easily crawl through the aorta in that sized heart.

10.  The smallest animal heart can be found in fairyflies. You’d need a microscope to see the ticker in this tiny insect.

11.  Your heart works as a coordinated machine. The right side of your heart pumps “used” blood from your body into your lungs, where it refills with oxygen. The left side of your heart then pumps re-oxygenated blood back into your body.

12.  Almost every cell in your body gets blood from your heart. The outliers can be found in the corneas of your eyes.

13.  Your heart pumps blood through about 60,000 miles (96,000 kilometers) of blood vessels. To put that in perspective, this blood tubing system could circle the Earth at the equator TWICE.

14.  A female’s average heartbeat is faster than a male’s by almost eight beats a minute. The reason? Because their hearts are usually smaller in size, females need their hearts to beat more to pump the same amount of blood.

15.  A typical heart pumps approximately 4 tablespoons of blood with each beat.

16.  Your heart has its own electrical supply and will continue to beat even when separated from your body. This specialized network of cells is known as the heart’s electrical conduction system.

17.  Heart disease is the greatest single threat to your health and the leading cause of death globally. The good news? You can help manage your heart health through dietary choicesregular exercise and stress management.

18.  It’s true that some heart problems can be inherited. It’s also true that you can minimize their impact by managing blood pressure and cholesterol through a heart-healthy lifestyle. (See #15.)

19.  Runners have a 45% lower risk of heart disease or stroke.

20.  Cardiac health is an age-old issue, as evidence of heart disease has been found in 3,000-year-old mummies.

21.  Research shows that Monday — the start of the traditional work week — is the most common day of the week to experience a heart attack. It’s a phenomenon known as the “Blue Monday” effect.

22.  The holiday season is also heart attack season. More cardiac deaths occur on December 25 than any other day of the year. The second and third-deadliest days are December 26 and January 1.

23.  A joke a day may help keep the heart doctor away, as laughing can improve heart health by lowering stress and relaxing blood vessels. Happiness can lower your risk of heart disease, too.

24.  Why does the heart symbolize love? Probably because of the pitter-patter you feel in your chest when Cupid’s arrow strikes. (But in truth, your brain controls love — but that would make for a lousy Valentine’s Day symbol.)

25.  Despite your heart not being part of making a love connection, it can still be broken when relationships take a bad turn. An emotionally driven condition known as “broken heart syndrome” can temporarily weaken your heart muscle.

26.  Heart cancer is very rare because heart cells stop dividing in adulthood, making them more resistant to the sort of mutations that can lead to cancer.

27.  Modesty prompted the invention of the stethoscope, that iconic medical tool that healthcare providers use to listen to your heart. Before it existed, doctors had to press an ear directly to the chest of their patient.

28.  The world’s first “stopped-heart” surgery took place at Cleveland Clinic in 1956. Today, this type of surgery — which uses a machine to pump blood throughout the body while the heart is stopped during an operation — is commonplace.

29.  A cardiac surgeon at Cleveland Clinic pioneered coronary artery bypass surgery in the late 1960s. The surgery restores blood flow to areas of the heart using blood vessels transplanted from other parts of the body.

30.  Each year, more than 2 million people around the world have open-heart surgery to address various heart conditions.

Health

Ministry Clarifies: No Suspension of Overtime in The Emergency Medical Services Department  

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PRESS RELEASE

 FROM THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

 

Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, 3 July 2025 – The Ministry of Health and Human Services addresses a memo currently circulating that suggests cessation of overtime within the Emergency Medical Services Department. The Ministry of Health wishes to clarify that this communication does not reflect its current policy or operational plans.

The Emergency Medical Services Department operates on a shift system that ensures that there are staff working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and that more than one ambulance is operational.  The Ministry remains committed to supporting and strengthening emergency medical services across the Turks and Caicos Islands. In fact, the Government has recently invested in the acquisition of eight (8) new ambulances, which are expected to be distributed throughout the islands. This strategic move is part of ongoing efforts to enhance response times and ensure that individuals in need of urgent care receive assistance as quickly as possible.

Currently, there is no plan to suspend overtime for the Emergency Medical Services personnel, however, there is a plan to better manage work schedules to ensure that there is better alignment. The Ministry appreciates the hard work and dedication of all emergency staff and continues to collaborate to ensure services are provided efficiently and safely.

We encourage all staff and members of the public to refer only to official Ministry of Health communications for accurate and current information. An internal review in relation to this matter is in progress.

The Ministry of Health and Human Services remains focused on improving access to quality healthcare and ensuring the readiness of emergency services across the country.

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Health

Setting a New Standard for Caribbean Wellness Retreats

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From sunrise meditation to sunset sails, Wymara invites guests to reconnect through a holistic schedule grounded in movement, mindfulness, and place

 

Wymara is redefining the wellness resort experience in the Caribbean. With a bold focus on movement, mindfulness, nutrition, and nature, the resort pairs luxurious amenities with purposeful programming designed to reset body and mind. This season, a new daily wellness schedule deepens Wymara’s commitment, offering guests unlimited complimentary classes that encourage reconnection, restoration, and real results.

Designed around the resort’s natural rhythm, the new schedule transitions effortlessly from dynamic activity to intentional stillness. Guests can take part in Stand-Up Paddleboard Yoga in the Caribbean’s only in-ocean pool, Revitalizing Sunset Yoga, Sound Bath Meditation, HIIT Workouts, and Mat Pilates, all grounded in a philosophy of space, setting, and connection.

“We see wellness not as an amenity, but as a defining part of the Wymara experience,” says Sarinah Sari, Spa Director. “We aim to create experiences that restore, rebalance, and stay with you, long after you leave the island.”

Classes are led by a team of experienced practitioners like Deep Singh, whose background spans therapeutic yoga, Ayurvedic bodywork, and energy-based healing.                                                                                                                                                                                                          His experience includes time at acclaimed wellness retreats across the Maldives and India, reinforcing Wymara’s commitment to cultivating one of the most compelling in-house wellness teams in the Caribbean.                                                                                                                                   Private sessions are also available by request, allowing guests to personalize their wellness journey with one-on-one instruction in yoga, meditation, breathwork, and energy healing. For a more immersive approach, curated itineraries are available to align movement, nutrition, and mindfulness into a stay designed for lasting impact.

Wymara approaches wellness as a 360° experience, aligning expert-led programming, best-in-class spa treatments, and curated experiences across land and sea. The resort continues to set the pace for integrative wellbeing in Turks and Caicos through:

  • At the heart of Wymara’s spa experience are results-driven treatments by 111SKIN, the science-led luxury skincare brand. This fall, two exclusive 111SKIN treatment rooms will launch at the Villas, elevating the partnership even further.
  • Sunset Cove Beach Club, an expansive wellness destination featuring a 25-metre lap pool, full fitness centre, sauna and steam room, Jacuzzi, and courts for tennis, pickleball, basketball, and bocce.
  • Wymara’s recent Green Globe Certificationsignals its ongoing commitment to sustainability as an essential pillar of the resort’s integrative wellness ethos.
  • plant-forward culinary program, praised for its creativity and balance. Specialized vegan and vegetarian menus are integrated across restaurants, in-villa dining, and custom menus.
  • Complimentary ocean experiences, including reef snorkelling, stand-up paddleboarding, and clear-bottom kayaking, just steps from the sand.
  • Anewly launched Wymara Experience Book, featuring curated recommendations across wellness, adventure, cuisine, and culture to help guests shape their ideal stay.

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Health

TCI receives six (6) additional Certificates of Analyses for commonly prescribed antidiabetic medicine

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Press Release 

 From the ministry of health and human services

 

Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, 24 June 2025 – The Pharmacy Unit within the Ministry of Health and Human Services (MoHHS) is pleased to report that it has received six (6) additional certificates of analyses following the testing and analyses of six (6) samples of the commonly prescribed antidiabetic medicine, metformin. This brings to a total of 11 samples following the receipt of five (5) certificates of analyses earlier this year. The samples – which have been confirmed as achieving the required quality standard – were selected from batches that have been utilised on the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) market.

Certificate of Analysis is a legal document that certifies the quality of a medicine and/or its ingredients known as excipients. The certificate demonstrates that the batch/ sample tested meets all the required quality control standards which confirms product quality and safety.

The Unit continues to partner with the Medicines Quality Control and Surveillance Department (MQCSD) of the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) as a part of their risk-based Post-Market Surveillance (PMS) Programme for medicines to conduct these tests and analyses. The TCI’s involvement in the PMS Programme continues to strengthen and support the effectiveness of its medicines regulatory system by:

  • Providing data and information that will better inform the government on the appropriate and effective regulatory actions and strategies to implement (that will improve the availability of safe and essential good quality medicines), and
  • Identifying in a timely manner, possible substandard and falsified products/medicines on the TCI market.

Importantly, the Minister of Health and Human Services – Honourable Kyle R. Knowles declared that “it is essential to improve fair access to safe, effective and quality medicines as these are hallmarks of effective disease management/treatment.” As such Hon. Knowles notes that “the MoHHS and by extension, the Pharmacy Unit, will continue to strengthen the systems and capacities required to improve the effective monitoring of drug/patient safety.”

The MoHHS will continue to ensure that the health and wellbeing of all TCI residents are positively impacted by actively monitoring and regulating all medicines used within the TCI. The MoHHS is also encouraging persons to utilise the Adverse Drug Reaction Form – found at https://gov.tc/docs/ADR.pdf – to report any suspected:

  • adverse events – suffered from the use of medicines and/or
  • substandard or falsified medicines.

These reports are paramount as they aid in determining whether medicines will be submitted for analysis and testing.

For further information, please contact André Morgan, National Pharmacist at: (649)338-3072 or amorgan@gov.tc and visit the Ministry of Health’s Facebook page on https://www.facebook.com/tciministryofhealth.

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