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A Healthy Heart

Last night, Tanya woke up at 3:00 a.m. in a cold sweat. She was having difficulty breathing. She did not know if she was having a panic attack or if it was her heart. As she drank a glass of water, her mind started to race. Two years earlier, her mom had a heart attack. Tanya generally follows a good diet and she exercises, but she also knows that genetics plays a role.

Do you think she had heart trouble, or was her mind playing tricks on her?

The heart is a muscle that never stops working, so everyone must do everything possible to care for their hearts and prevent cardiovascular disease. Heart function and fluid circulation are regulated by the nervous system. Nerves are stimulated for voluntary movements of muscles and involuntary actions like the beating of the heart. This week, you will take a closer look at the skeletal, muscular, cardiovascular, and nervous systems to learn about how they function in Tanya’s body.

Monitoring vital signs, including blood pressure and pulse, helps us be more aware of the state of our health. While lab tests give us highly accurate and detailed information, you can also perform a quick self-check if you know the normal parameters. If your heart rate is elevated at rest, or if it takes an exceedingly long time for the heart rate to return to normal after exercise, for instance, there may be a reason for concern. Many forms of heart disease can be prevented or treated with healthy lifestyle choices, yet heart disease continues to cause many deaths each year.

Now that you have learned a little bit more about cardiovascular health, do you think Tanya was having a heart attack, or was her mind playing tricks on her? What symptoms could be consistent with your diagnosis? Is there anything unusual?