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Heart is the most important organ in the human body as it filters the blood and provides oxygen and nutrition to every part of the body and carries the waste material too! The average size of the adult heart is about the size of a clenched fist and weighs about 310 grams. The heart is made up of special type of muscles called as cardiac muscles. Internally it has four parts – two auricles and two ventricles. The two ventricles are separated by interventricular septum which prevents mixing of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood.
The oxygenated blood from the heart is carried to the different parts of the body. While doing so the blood exerts pressure on the walls of the blood vessels. The normal blood pressure is 120/80. If your blood pressure goes beyond this level you said to have high blood pressure and if your blood pressure goes down this level then you said to have low blood pressure.
There are several factors which affects the blood pressure. These are factors like heredity, stress, older age, inactive life style, and heavy alcohol consumption, high intake of common salt (sodium) and obesity. Some medications like steroids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, cold remedies, diet pills, anti depressants and oral contraceptives also interfere with high blood pressure.
The main factor that affects blood pressure is cholesterol. There are two types of cholesterol which are low density lipoprotein (LDL) i.e. bad cholesterol and high density lipoprotein (HDL) i.e. good cholesterol. Cholesterol helps to build new cells, insulate nerve cells and produce hormones. But too much cholesterol is also bad for your health.
Several factors can affect your cholesterol level in the blood which includes diet, your weight, regular exercise, your age and gender, heredity, medical condition, some medications like steroids and progestines. The most important step in treating high cholesterol level is to reduce LDL i.e. bad cholesterol. You can take cholesterol lowering drugs along with a balanced diet and regular exercise to get the normal cholesterol level.
High cholesterol and high blood pressure are interrelated and can lead to heart diseases. High blood pressure occurs due to deposition of cholesterol on the walls of the arteries making it more stressful for the heart to pump it out. Obesity also plays an important role in getting high blood pressure. A healthy balanced diet, regular exercise and maintaining weight is the key to have a healthy heart!!!
