Heart
The heart is a muscular organ about the size of a fist located in the upper chest between the lungs. Its job is to pump blood throughout the entire body, supplying it with oxygen and nutrients.
The heart has four chambers: upper left atrium, upper right atrium, lower left ventricle, and lower right ventricle. Each chamber plays a major role in ridding the body of waste and supplying it with new oxygen from the lungs. The heart valves allow blood to flow in one direction, through the chambers in the correct order. The left ventricle is the strongest chamber and receives the blood last. From there it pumps it out through the aorta to the rest of the body.
Cardiovascular diseases account for the death of about 30% of the population, globally. Coronary artery disease is the most common cardiovascular disease. This is when cholesterol plaques build up and narrow the blood supply to the heart. Smoking, being overweight, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes increase your risk. There may be no warning of any heart disease present until a sudden heart attack. Healthy lifestyle changes can reduce the risk of heart disease.
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