10 Surprising Facts About the Human Heart

The human heart is a mystery like all other parts of the human body are. There are drug formulations for heart conditions yet to be invented by scientists and more tech-advanced treatments yet to be found. Perhaps, there may even be heart diseases still waiting to be discovered. From this maze of the unknown, let’s talk about some of the interesting facts about the human heart that you may not be aware of.

Surprising and Interesting Facts About the Human Heart

1. Open-heart surgery was first done as early as 1893

The first open-heart surgery dates back to 1893. It was undertaken by Dr. Daniel Hale Williams, one of the most renowned cardiologists in the United States at the time.

2. The first receiver of a pacemaker lived until the age of 86 years

The first pacemaker was implanted in 1958 on a person by the name of Arne Larsson. He lived until the age of 86 years, outliving his surgeon who had performed the surgery. He died from a medical condition that was not related to his heart.

3. ‘Broken heart’ isn’t just a phrase from a love song

Broken heart syndrome is a legit medical condition. Its symptoms like breathlessness and chest pain are quite similar to those experienced before a cardiac arrest.

However, there is one clear difference between them. A heart attack arises due to heart disease. In contrast, a broken heart syndrome occurs due to a rush of stress-related hormones into the bloodstream, owing to physical or emotional pressure.

This creates a shock effect on the heart, leading to a temporary heart attack. With a broken heart, one can be back on his/her toes in a few days with some rest and care, but a heart attack has long-term effects on lifestyle and diet.

4. Laughter is indeed the best medicine for the human heart

One of the best facts about the human heart is how it benefits from our happiness.

A good laugh – the kind that makes you hold your tummy while laughing, is believed to cause a rush of blood throughout your body.

No wonder our blood circulation is better when we watch a comedy or standup comic show. Apart from controlling stress, laughter relaxes and expands the wall lining of the blood vessels, improving blood flow. So, laugh your heart out more often!

5. The heart pumps 2,000 gallons of blood in about 100,000 heartbeats daily

The human heart works non-stop tirelessly throughout the day to pump 2,000 gallons of oxygen-rich blood in about 100,000 heartbeats every day.

What’s more, it can pump blood to every cell in the body within a minute. This means that it covers 60,000 miles of large and narrow blood vessels in a record span of one minute. These blood vessels link the heart to cells throughout the body. 

6. Swirl your glass of wine for a healthy heart

A glass of red wine every day was believed to do wonders for your heart. Now, white wine has been found to be equally beneficial for the human heart. The purple skin of grapes, used for making red wine, is rich in antioxidants.

The skin gets removed during the making of white wine, making researchers and scientists believe that only red wine is laden with benefits for the heart. The pulp of the grapefruit contains cardio-protective compounds that are the secret ingredient in white wines. Now that this belief has been debunked, take a sip from your choice of wine and let your heart relax. 

7. In medical terms, ‘big heart’ isn’t what we understand by the term

Big or enlarged hearts indicate an underlying medical condition of the heart. For instance, cardiomyopathy occurs when the chambers of the heart stretch beyond normalcy.

This adversely affects the pumping power of the heart, exerting excessive pressure on it to circulate blood to the enlarged areas of the heart. Not just that, it also deprives the other organs of the body of sufficient blood supply. Lack of proper treatment, in this case, can cause a failure of the heart.

8. Human heartbeats are aligned to that of the horse upon touching

Research has found that when a human touches a horse, the latter’s heartbeat becomes synchronized to the heartbeats of the human touching it. Scientists are now pondering over whether this can be effectively utilized for measuring the stress hormones of humans with heart diseases.

The idea of repeating the same research with service dogs is also underway. Next, the researcher will study service dogs to better match them with humans.

9. Symptoms of a heart attack are slightly different for men and women

Contrary to the widely popular opinion that heart diseases are a man’s domain, women too suffer from medical conditions of the heart. However, there are some differences between the symptoms that the two genders feel before a heart attack.

The symptoms common to both men and women are – nausea, lightheadedness, tightness, shortness of breath, and chest pain. There are some other signs that are unique to women. These are vomiting, indigestion, breathlessness, chest pain of different intensity, and pain in the jaw, shoulders, and back.

The reason behind the differences in symptoms is the varying size of hearts amongst men and women. While a man’s heart weighs 10 ounces on average, a woman’s heart weighs about 8 ounces. Hence, the symptoms are less obvious to a great extent. 

10. Orgasms reduce the risk of coronary heart diseases

A British-based study of 2,500 men between ages 49 and 54 found that having an orgasm a minimum of three times a week reduces the risk of death from coronary heart disease by a whopping 50%.

To top that, sex acts as a great workout session that burns calories and works as an amazing stress-buster. An active session between the sheets may double the heart rate and burn up about 200 calories.

It has the same effectiveness as that of a 15-minute run, cutting down the risk of heart diseases yet again amongst men. However, the effect of orgasms and sex on women’s hearts is not conclusive till date. Health conditions that indicate a lack of sexual health like erectile dysfunction may be a sign of a heart attack about 5 years in advance.

Have any more interesting facts about the human heart to share with us? Let us know in the comments!

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