The heart is muscular organ, but a special one because of what it does.

It is the most important muscle in the body. Without it, human life would not be possible. The heart sends blood around your body. The blood provides your body with the oxygen and nutrients it needs. It also carries away waste.
Overview and position
When the heart is viewed from the front its outline is trapezoidal. The superior border is formed by the roots of the great vessels, while the inferior border lies along the diaphragm. It is considered that the heart has three surfaces. Ventricles form its inferior or diaphragmatic surface, which rests on the diaphragm. The posterior surface, or base, is formed by the atra and faces the fifth to eight thoracic vertebrae. The right ventricle formes the anterior or sternocostal surface. This surface faces the anterior chest wall. In normal adults, the mass of the heart is between 250 to 425 grams and it is about the size of a fist. This special muscle is situated in the rib cage, and its responsible for pumping blood through the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions. In the human body, the heart is normally situated between lungs, in the middle of the thorax, behind and slightly to the left of the breastbone (sternum). The heart is usually felt to be on the left side because Picture No. 1 Position of the heart the left heart (left ventricle) is stronger than the right one. The heart occupies more of the left hemithorax, so the left lung is smaller than right lung. The

Histology of the heart

The wall of the heart consists of three layers: 1. endocardium 2. myocardium 3. epicardium

Myocardium
Myocardium is the muscular middle layer of the heart wall that stimulates heart contractions. Ti is thick and composed of the cardiac muscle tissue. Cardiac muscle, like other muscles, can contract, but it can also conduct electricity, like nerves. This specific muscle is a variant form of striated muscle, with distinct differences from the skeletal form, and some unique structures that make it work properly until death. Specialized cardiac muscle cells form the cardiac muscle tissue, that is specific only for the heart. Myocardial cells (cardiac myocytes) are much smaller than the myofibers of skeletal muscle, and they don't form long cylindrical structures the way myofibers do. The difference between myiofibres and myocites also can be seen in the position and numbers of a nucleus. One nucleus per myocyte is the rule, not hundreds as in a skeletal myofiber, and that one nucleus is centrally located. Myocardium has a "stringy" look compared to skeletal muscle. While skeletal muscle cells are very large and lie next to each other in parallel bundles, the smaller cardiac muscle cells are butted together at their ends, and irregularly shaped, numerous Picture No. 2 - Specialized cardiac muscle cells - myocites blood vessels between them. The effect is to create an anastomosing network of fibers rather than a solid phalanx of muscle fascicles. The blood supply of the myocardium is by the coronary arteries.

Endocardium
In the heart, the endocardium is the innermost layer of tissue that lines the chambers of the heart. Its cells, embryologically and biologically, are similar to the endothelial cells that line blood vessels. The endocardium overlies the much more voluminous myocardium, the muscular tissue responsible for the contraction of the heart. Endocardium is attached to the muscle. Recently, it has become evident that the endocardium, which is primarily made up of endothelial cells, controls myocardial function. This modulating role is separate from the homeometric and heterometric regulatory mechanisms that control myocardial contractility. Moreover, the endothelium of the myocardial capillaries are involved in this modulatory role. Thus, the cardiac endothelium, both the endocardial endothelium and the endothelium of the myocardial capillaries, controls the development of the heart in the embryo as well as in the adult, for example during hypertrophy. The endocardial

endothelium may also act as a kind of blood-heart barrier, thus controlling the ionic composition of the extracellular fluid in which the cardiomyocytes bathe.

Epicardium
Epicardium is the ouer layer of the heart wall. It is also called the visceral pericardium.

Pericardium
A fibro-serous membrane called the pericardium surrounds the heart like a sac. This sac reduces friction during heart contractions. Pericardium is composed of elastic connective tissue that is arranged into two layers. The outer layer, called the fibrous pericardium, is made up of connective tissue fibers felted together to form a dense. This layer is reffered to as the parietal layer and surrounds the roots of the hearts major blood vessels such as the aorta, the right and left pulmonary arteries, the four pulmonary veins, the superior vena cava and it is attached by ligaments to the spinal column, diaphragm, and other parts of the body. The inner layer of the serous pericardium adherens to the outer surface of the heart, and is referred to as either the visceral layer or the epicardium. It lies directly on the heart surface and it is attached to the heart muscle. The serous pericardium is made up of a single layer of epithelial cells, known as the mesothelium, that covers the inner and outer surface of the pericardial space. These cells secrete the lymph-like fluid that fills the pericardial space. Beneath the mesothelium of the visceral pericardium is a thin layer of fibro-elastic Picture No. 3 Structure of pericardium connective tissue. This is supported by a layer of adipose tissue that covers the outer surface of the myocardium. The actual anatomy of the pericardium is complex. The heart invaginates a closed fluid-filled sac to form the parietal and visceral layers of the serous pericardium, separated by the fluid-filled pericardial space. The fibrous pericardium surrounds this structure to form the outer layer of the pericardial sac. The two layers of the serous pericardium are continuos at the points where the blood vessels pierce the fibrous pericardium and enter or leave the heart. These are reffered to as the points of reflection of the serous pericardium. The lower parts of the ascending aorta and pulmonary arteries are completely enclosed in a sheath of visceral pericardium, so that if the pericardium is opened it is possible to pass the fingers behind these two vassels, and in front of the atria and the superior vena cava. This passage is called the transverse sinus of the pericardium. The spaces which occur between the other blood vessels partially covered by the serous pericardium are also called sinuses. The largest of these is called the oblique sinus, and it lies within the semicircle formed by the four pulmonary veins and the inferior vena cava. 3

Anatomy of the heart

Although we immediately think of the heart as being a four-chambered organ, with two atria and two ventricles, this is only true for mammals, birds and some reptiles. The development of the four-chambered heart means that oxygenated and deoxygenated blood are kept separate, in two distinct circulatory systems, with the heart functioning as two pumps working in series. The pulmonary circulation carries the deoxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs to be oxygenated. The systemic circulation conveys this oxygenated blood round the body.

heart valves)

Picture No. 4 Anatomy of the (atriums, ventricles and

heart four The are left and are left The right the right wall

The human consists of chambers. upper chambers called the and right atrium, the lower chambers called the and right ventricles. left and atria and left and ventricles separates a of muscle called the septum.

Atriums and ventricles

The left atrium

The left atrium receives oxygenated blood from the lungs through the pulmonary vein. As the contraction triggered by the sinoatrial node progresses through the atria, the blood passes through the bicuspid valve into the left ventricle. This atrium together with the left ventricle forms the most of the posterior and inferior surfaces of the heart. The right atrium

The right atrium is slightly larger than the left one. The right atrium receives deoxygenated blood from the body through the superior vena cava and inferior vena cava. These veins returning the blood to the heart from all parts of the body. The sinoatrial node sends an impulse that causes the cardiac muscle tissue of the atrium to contract in a coordinated manner. The tricuspid valve, which separates the right atrium from the right ventricle, opens to allow the de-oxygenated blood collected in the right atrium to flow into the right ventricle. The left ventricle

The left ventricle is the largest and strongest chamber in the heart. It lies partly behind the right ventricle and extends to the apex of the heart. Chamber walls of this ventricle are only about a half-inch thick, but they have enough force to push blood through the aortic valve and into the body. This chamber has walls that are three times the thickness of the right ventricle because the oxygenated blood that it receives from the left atrium has to be pump throughout the body. The left ventricle receives oxygenated blood as the left atrium contracts. The blood passes through the bicuspid valve into the right ventricle. The aortic valve leading into the aorta is closed, allowing the ventricle to fill with blood. Once the ventricles are full, they contract. As the left ventricle contracts, the bicuspid valve closes and the aortic valve opens. The closure of the bicuspid valve prevents blood from backing into the left atrium and the opening of the aortic valve allows the blood to flow into the aorta and flow throughout the body. The right ventricle

The right ventricle receives deoxygenated blood as the right atrium contracts. The way it works is similar to the way the left ventricle works. The diference is that this ventricle pumps blood into the pulmonary arteries and the blood goes to the lungs. The pulmonary valve leading into the pulmonary artery is closed, allowing the ventricle to fill with blood. Once the ventricles are full, they contract. As the right ventricle contracts, the tricuspid valve closes and the pulmonary valve opens. The closure of the tricuspid valve prevents blood from backing into the right atrium and the opening of the pulmonary valve allows the blood to flow into the pulmonary artery toward the lungs.

Septum
The septum is a partition that separates the right and left sides of the heart. There are two separate regions of the septum. They are the interatrial septum that separates the atriums and the interventrial septurm that separates the ventricles. The interatrial septum 5

is only present in the fetal period and is open during this period. The interatrial septum closes at the time of birth. The interventrial septum is suppose to be closed all the time but sometimes an opening is present at birth. This would be considered a congenital heart disease.

The valves of the heart

The cusp of a valve has a core of CT, much of it composed of elastic fibers. There may be some smooth muscle worked into it as well. The outer surfaces, exposed to the blood flow, are covered with the epithelium of the endocardial lining, like the rest of the system.

Picture No. 5 Valve composite

There are four valves in the heart: 1. 2. 3. 4. Tricuspid valve tricuspid valve bicuspid valve pulmonary valve aortic valve

The tricuspid valve separates the right atrium from the right ventricle. It opens to allow the deoxygenated blood collected in the right atrium to flow into the right ventricle. It closes as the right ventricle contracts, and prevents blood from returning to the right atrium. Bicuspid (mitral) valve

The bicuspid valve separates the left atrium from the left ventricle. It opens to allow the oxygenated blood collected in the left atrium to flow into the left ventricle. It closes as the left ventricle contracts, preventing blood from returning to the left atrium. Pulmonary valve

The pulmonary valve is situated between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery. Its role is to separate the right ventricle from the pulmonary artery. As the ventricles

contract, it opens to allow the deoxygenated blood collected in the right ventricle to flow to the lungs. It closes as the ventricles relax, preventing blood from returning to the heart. Aortic valve

The aortic valve separates the left ventricle from the aorta. As the ventricles contract, it opens to allow the oxygenated blood collected in the left ventricle to flow throughout the body. It closes as the ventricles relax, preventing blood from returning to the heart.

Heart diseases
Heart disease is any disorder that affects the heart. Sometimes the term "heart disease" is used incorrectly as a synonym for coronary artery disease. It is synonymous with cardiac disease but not with cardiovascular disease which is any disease of the heart or blood vessels. Any disease connected to the heart is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the world. Coronary artery heart disease

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a disease affecting the arterial blood vessel. It is a chronic inflammatory response in the walls of arteries, in large part to the deposition of lipoproteins. It is commonly referred to as a "hardening" or "furring" of the arteries. It is caused by the formation of multiple plaques within the arteries. Arteriosclerosis is a general term describing any hardening of medium or large arteries (in Greek, "Arterio" meaning artery and "sclerosis" meaning hardening), arteriolosclerosis is arteriosclerosis mainly affecting the arterioles. Atherosclerosis causes two main problems. First, the atheromatous plaques, though long compensated for by artery enlargement, eventually lead to plaque ruptures and stenosis of the artery and, therefore, an insufficient blood supply to the organ it feeds. Alternatively, if the compensating artery enlargement process is excessive, then a net aneurysm results.
Picture No. 6 - Severe atherosclerosis of the aorta

Atherosclerosis typically begins in early adolescence, and is usually found in most major arteries, yet is asymptomatic and not detected by most diagnostic methods during life. It most commonly becomes seriously symptomatic when interfering with the coronary circulation supplying the heart or cerebral circulation supplying the brain, and is

considered the most important underlying cause of strokes, heart attacks, various heart diseases including congestive heart failure and most cardiovascular diseases in general. Treatment: If atherosclerosis leads to symptoms, some symptoms such as angina pectoris can be treated. Non-pharmaceutical means are usually the first method of treatment, such as cessation of smoking and regular exercise. If these methods do not work, medicines are usually the next step in treating cardiovascular diseases, and with improvements, have increasingly become the most effective method over the long term. However, medicines are criticized for their expense, patented control and occasional undesired effects. Heart attack

A heart attack occurs when the supply of blood and oxygen to an area of heart muscle is blocked, usually by a clot in a coronary artery. If treatment is not started quickly, the affected area of heart muscle begins to die. This injury to the heart muscle can lead to serious complications, and can even be fatal. Sudden death from heart attack is most often due to an arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat or rhythm) called ventricular fibrillation. If a person survives a heart attack, the injured area of the heart muscle is replaced by scar tissue. This weakens the pumping action of the heart and can lead to heart failure and other complications.

Picture No. 7 Heart With Muscle Damage and Blocked Artery (A - overview of the heart and coronary artery showing damage caused by a heart attack) (B - cross-section of the coronary artery with plaque buildup and a blood clot)

A heart attack is a life-threatening event. Everyone should know the warning signs of a heart attack and how to get emergency help. Many people suffer permanent damage to their hearts or die because they do not get help immediately. Effective treatments for heart attack are available that can decrease the chances of sudden death 8

and long-term complications. To be most effective, these treatments must be given fast, within 1 hour of the start of heart attack symptoms. Acting fast can save your life and limit damage to your heart. Heart disease - Heart Failure

The term "heart failure" can be frightening. It does not mean the heart has "failed" or stopped working. It means the heart does not pump as well as it should. Heart disease failure is the leading cause of hospitalization in people older than 65. Congenital Heart Disease

Congenital heart disease is a type of defect in one or more structures of the heart or blood vessels that occur before birth. In this heart disease - Congenital heart defects may produce symptoms at birth, during childhood and sometimes not until adulthood. Affects of smoking

Most people associate cigarette smoking with breathing problems and lung cancer. Obviously smoking is also a major cause of cardiovascular disease. A persons risk of heart attack greatly increases with the number of cigarettes he or she smokes. There is no safe amount of smoking. Smokers continue to increase their risk of heart attack the longer they smoke. People who smoke a pack of cigarettes a day have more than twice the risk of heart attack than nonsmokers. Women who smoke and also take birth control pills increase several times their risk of heart attack, stroke and peripheral vascular disease. Cigarettes have multiple poisons, including addictive nicotine, carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide. There are 4,000 other chemicals of varying toxicity, including 43 known carcinogens. High percent of all deaths from heart disease is directly related to cigarette smoking. That's because smoking is a major cause of coronary artery disease. If you stop smoking a risk of your heart attack drops quickly. After two years of remaining smoke-free, your risk is nearly as low as a nonsmoker. Also, when you stop smoking your body starts repairing itself almost immediately. The risk of heart attack, stroke, and cancer starts dropping immediately, also your cough becomes less and less severe. There's no one way to quit smoking that works for everyone. To quit, you must be ready both emotionally and mentally. You must also want to quit smoking for yourself, and not to please your friends or family. It helps to plan ahead.

Preventing heart diseases

Treatment of heart diseases is a hard process and takes a lot of time, so prevention is the smartest thing to do. But mankind is not all about making 'smart moves', we make decisions based on emotion, ego, and occasionally, sometimes logic. For every one person who 'prevents' something, there will be many, many more who will gladly wait and see, and then pay handsomely for a cure. Healthy living is a first step of prevention. Healthy living means eating healthy food, living less stresful life and, of course, doing some easy exercises. Walking is the easiest, safest and least expensive form of exercise. Almost everyone can benefit from brisk walking at speeds of 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 miles an hour, which will produce cardiovascular benefits. Older people, cardiac patients or people recovering from an illness can still reap benefits from slower walking, about 2 miles an hour. Walking is a very positive move towards a lifelong program of exercise. If you're just starting a walking program, start slowly. Begin with mile-long walks at a pace of 3 miles per hour five times a week. Gradually increase the distance to 3 miles and the speed to 4 miles per hour over the next month. If you can't walk at that speed, walk a little farther. Begin to look for opportunities to walk during your normal day...park your car farther away from the store or office; get off the bus one or two stops earlier. If you walk briskly, you can get nearly the same aerobic benefits provided by running. Running or jogging has become the aerobic sport. It's one of the easiest and least expensive exercise activities. People of any age can run almost anywhere, and the only cost is a good pair of well-fitting running shoes. To get the best benefit, run at a moderate pace for 30 minutes. Running four times a week is sufficient for building and maintaining aerobic fitness. A beginning runner should start by walking at a brisk pace nonstop for 30-45 minutes three days a week. As you build endurance, run a little, walk awhile, etc., until you're running continuously for 30 minutes. Build up time and endurance to 45 minutes four times a week. Before starting, though, remember to warm up by walking briskly and jogging slowly for 10-15 minutes, then stretch. Also, stopping properly is important to prevent fainting. Gradually slow down the pace and then walk for 10-15 minutes to cool down. "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

Treatment heart disease with aspirin the original wounder drug

For over 100 years, aspirin has been used as a pain reliever. Aspirin benefits the heart in many ways. It fights pain and inflammation associated with heart disease by blocking the action of an enzyme called cyclooxygenase. After blocking this enzyme, the body is less able to produce a substance called prostaglandin, which is a chemical that signals an injury and triggers pain. Aspirin also inhibits blood clots. Blood clots are harmful because they can clog the arteries leading to the heart, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke. This medicine has been shown to reduce the risk of heart attack and reduce the short-term risk of death among people suffering from heart attacks, what is the most important. All in all it reduces the risk of death. Research has shown that regular aspirin

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use is associated with a marked reduction from death due to all causes, particularly among the elderly, people with heart disease, and people who are physically unfit. People with coronary artery disease or atherosclerosis anywhere in the body, people who have had a heart attack, people who have undergone bypass surgery to treat heart disease, or have angina, people with any risk factor for heart disease or a heart attack and many others may have benefit from aspirin therapy. One in the group of central organs that provide living, is heart. The heart is the main component of the cardiovascular system. The function of heart is complicated but it easy can be put into disorder, too. Sadly, there are too many people with heart diseses these days because of this fast way of living. People should be aware that their life is the most valuable thing thay have, and stop living stressful life. They should visit doctors more often, and show that they are interested in saving their health.

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