30 Facts About Your Heart

Published

2 months ago

March 16, 2024

As you go through your day, you probably don’t spend much time thinking about 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.

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.)
The beating sound from your heart — lub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dub — is from the clap of valve leaflets opening and closing.
A typical human heart valve is about the size of a half dollar.
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!)
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.
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.
To make room for your heart, your left lung is slightly smaller than your right lung.
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.
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.
The smallest animal heart can be found in fairyflies. You’d need a microscope to see the ticker in this tiny insect.
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.
Almost every cell in your body gets blood from your heart. The outliers can be found in the corneas of your eyes.
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.
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.
A typical heart pumps approximately 4 tablespoons of blood with each beat.
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.
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 choices, regular exercise and stress management.
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.)
Runners have a 45% lower risk of heart disease or stroke.
Cardiac health is an age-old issue, as evidence of heart disease has been found in 3,000-year-old mummies.
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.
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.
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.
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.)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

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

AstraZeneca withdraws COVID vaccines after millions took their jabs

Published

10 hours ago

May 8, 2024

Deandrea Hamilton

Rashaed Esson

Staff Writer

May 8th, 2024 – After millions of people took the AstraZeneca vaccine as their choice of vaccination during the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization announced on March 5, that it is withdrawing its vaccines from the market worldwide, effective as of May 7 as it was reported to cause side effects.

It is said 170 countries received doses of AstraZeneca; it was expected 35.3 million doses would be shared with 36 Caribbean and Latin American countries through the COVAX program, according to PAHO.

First reported by the Telegraph, the side effects are identified as blood clots and low blood platelet counts. In fact, the medical issues have reportedly been linked to 81 confirmed deaths in the UK alone. Many others are suffering some other medical injury due to the vaccine popularized as an answer to the then new virus.

AstraZeneca is also being sued by more than 45 affected people.

The vaccine, known as Vaxzevria, the Telegraph informs, can no longer be used in the European Union and it will be the same for other countries and the UK in the coming months. Over 17 million doses made it into EU countries.

Reports say AstraZeneca made the revelations of the side effects in court documents, adding that the withdrawal of their vaccine is also due to a decrease in demand.

Photo Caption: Public Health Nurse, Patricia Coates (left), administers Daniel Adams’ first dose of the AstraZeneca coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine, during the second COVID-19 Vaccination Blitz at the National Arena in St. Andrew, on Saturday (April 3).

JIS photo from 2021.

Health

Case of Malaria Identified in TCI

Published

20 hours ago

May 8, 2024

Shanieka

Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands – Wednesday, 8^th May 2024: A case of malaria has been identified in the Turks and Caicos Islands. The individual is presently stable and receiving treatment. The Public Health team is currently conducting further investigations, however, initial findings indicate the case may be imported. The Ministry of Health and Human Services is working closely with its stakeholders to respond to this finding.

Malaria is an acute febrile illness caused by Plasmodium parasites, which are spread to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. Malaria is not contagious and cannot spread from one person to another. It is preventable and curable. However, without prompt diagnosis and effective treatment, a case of uncomplicated malaria can progress to a severe form of the disease, which is often fatal without treatment.

There are five species of Plasmodium parasites that cause malaria in humans and 2 of these species – Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax – pose the greatest threat. Not all Anopheles mosquitoes have malaria, but if they bite a person with malaria, they can become infectious.

Symptoms

Malaria symptoms range from very mild illness to severe disease and even death. The first symptoms of malaria usually begin within 10–15 days after the bite from an infected mosquito. Early symptoms can include:

Fever and flu-like illness
Chills
Headache, muscle aches, and tiredness
Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may also occur

If not treated quickly, the infection can become severe. If Plasmodium falciparum malaria is not treated within 24 hours, the infection can progress to severe illness and death.

Severe symptoms can include:

kidney failure
seizures
mental confusion
coma

See a healthcare provider as soon as possible if:

you are experiencing any of the symptoms of malaria, and
you have traveled in the last year to or from an area where malaria occurs

Only a healthcare provider can diagnose malaria. A lab test via microscopy and/or rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) will confirm malaria using a small sample of your blood.

Prescription drugs can treat and cure malaria.

Prevention

Persons traveling to countries where malaria is endemic should take precautions to prevent infection including taking chemoprophylaxis (use of medications to prevent infection).

For additional information, please visit the Ministry of Health and Human Services Facebook page onhttps://www.facebook.com/tciministryofhealth/.

Health

Successful Community Kidney Screening Events Hosted by InterHealth Canada – TCI Hospital and Ministry of Health and Human Services in Grand Turk and Salt Cay

Published

7 days ago

May 2, 2024

Shanieka

(Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands – Friday, April 19th, 2024): – InterHealth Canada Turks and Caicos Islands Hospital, in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Human Services, is delighted to announce the successful completion of the Community Kidney Screening Events held in Grand Turk and Salt Cay. These events marked a significant milestone in promoting kidney health awareness and early detection.

On April 12, 2024, on Grand Turk (Dillon Hall) and April 13, 2024, on Salt Cay (Ministry of Health Clinic), participants had the opportunity to receive immediate screening results and personalized guidance from dedicated healthcare professionals. The collaborative effort between InterHealth Canada-Turks and Caicos Islands Hospital and the Ministry of Health and Human Services empowered individuals to prioritize their kidney health and take proactive steps towards well-being.

Reflecting on the event’s success, Dr Denise Braithwaite-Tennant, CEO of InterHealth Canada Turks and Caicos Islands Hospital, shared, “We are happy to see the positive impact of the Community Kidney Screening Events in Grand Turk and Salt Cay. By providing accessible screenings and expert guidance by our clinical teams, including our nephrologist and internist, we equip individuals with the knowledge to make informed decisions about their kidney health.”

Similarly, Dr Camelia Clarke, Director of the Health Promotion and Advocacy Unit of the Ministry of Health and Human Services, expressed her satisfaction with the outcomes, stating, “These events have showcased the importance of early detection and preventive care in maintaining optimal kidney health.”

The support of sponsors, including the TCI Boating Club, Air and Sea Agency, The Olympic Group Limited, Flow and Digicel, played a crucial role in the success of the Community Kidney Screening Events.

InterHealth-Canada Turks and Caicos Islands Hospital and the Ministry of Health and Human Services are excited to announce that a series of Kidney Community Screenings with dates for Providenciales, North and Middle Caicos, and South Caicos will be revealed soon, further extending the impact of this important initiative.

The Community Kidney Screening Events in Grand Turk and Salt Cay have set a solid foundation for ongoing efforts to prioritize kidney health and well-being within the community. Together, we are taking proactive steps towards building a healthier future for all.