9 Interesting Facts About the Human Heart You Might Not Have Known

The heart is a powerful and amazing instrument inside of your body capable of astonishing feats. It keeps you alive and healthy, and enables you to work, exercise, and play. But how much do you actually know about it?

Below are nine surprising and impressive facts about the human heart. Read on to learn more about the hardest working muscle in the human body.

1. It Pumps an Insane Amount of Blood

The heart’s primary function is to pump blood around the body through arteries and veins—otherwise known as the cardiovascular system. But you may be surprised to learn how much blood it is pumping. The heart pumps around 1.5 gallons of blood every minute, which adds up to over 2,000 gallons per day.

2. Human Hearts Beat Many Many Times Per Day

The average human heart beats around 115,000 times per day. This amounts to 42 million times in a year. However, this may vary from person to person.

3. Heartbeat Speeds Can vary

Did you know that on average, women’s hearts tend to beat slightly faster than men’s? Around 8 beats faster, to be precise. This is mostly because a woman’s heart tends to be smaller than a man’s, as well.

4. Especially in the Case of Babies

Speaking of heartbeats, when it comes to speed, a baby’s heart has both adult males and females beat. A baby’s heart will typically beat between 70 and 190 times per minute.

5. It Has Its Own Electrical System

That’s right, the heart has its very own electrical system which helps it to pump blood. Because of this, it is possible for the human heart to continue beating even outside of the body as long as it has enough oxygen.

6. It Needs to Be Taken Care Of

Heart disease is currently the leading cause of death in the United States. You can see here for yourself about the rapid growth of the cardiac surgery market. Following a heart-healthy lifestyle is crucial to prevent these types of illnesses.

7. Lots of Heart Attacks Occur at the Holidays

In the US, Christmas eve is the day of the year when most heart attacks occur. December 26th and New Year’s day are also days when large numbers of heart attacks happen. Experts believe this is likely due to excessive amounts of stress often experienced on these days.

8. The Youngest Heart Surgery Recipient Was One Minute Old

The infant had a rare heart defect that many babies don’t survive. Thankfully, her surgery was successful, although it is likely she will need a heart transplant as she gets older.

9. A Broken Heart Is More Than an Expression

Broken heart syndrome is a real condition that can have symptoms similar to a heart attack. It is usually brought on in cases of extreme emotional, psychological or physical stress.

Amazing Facts About the Human Heart

Of course, there are many more facts about the human heart to discover. The heart is an astounding part of the human body that does amazing things. This is why it should be properly cared for and treated with the respect it deserves.

If you’ve enjoyed these fun heart facts, please have a look at the rest of our content.