How, Exactly, Does Your Heart Work?
This illustrated guide walks you through how your ticker functions and explains what can happen when its valves aren’t pumping properly.
May 5, 2021
May 5, 2021
Your heart is the beating center of your circulatory system. It pumps blood—rich with oxygen and nutrients—to the rest of your body, which keeps your brain, kidneys, and other vital organs functioning as they should. And, if you keep your heart in tip-top shape, you’ll have a better chance that it—and you—function in great form for the long haul.
“Regular exercise and a healthy diet, like the Mediterranean diet, will help keep your cardiovascular risk factors, like high blood pressure and high cholesterol, in check,” says cardiologist Glenn Hirsch, M.D., of National Jewish Health in Denver.