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Anatomy and Physiology (click on image to enlarge)
The heart is the muscular pump of the circulatory system. A three-layer sac known as the pericardium surrounds it. The heart has 4 chambers - right and left atrium, right and left ventricle. It weighs about 12 ounces, is 6 inches long, and 4 inches wide, beats 2½ billion times in the average lifetime, and pumps 7000 quarts of blood daily through 60,000 miles of blood vessels. The heart rests ½ second between beats. Even though it is only 1/200th of the body weight, it uses 1/20th of the blood supply. At rest the heart pumps 4-5 liters per minute, this can increase to 20-30 liters with heavy exercise.
Deoxygenated blood from the body enters the heart through the right atrium, goes through the tricuspid valve to the right ventricle, through the semi lunar valve and is pumped to the lungs. There it picks up oxygen and goes to left atrium, through the mitral valve to the left ventricle, through the semi lunar valve to the rest of the body.
Contraction of the atrium helps pump blood into the ventricles, though about 70% of the blood goes in before contraction takes place. With ventricular contraction, the A-V valves (tricuspid and mitral) are closed to prevent backflow to the atrium. During this time blood collects in the atrium. Ventricular contraction also causes the semi lunar (aortic and pulmonary) valves to be pushed open for blood to leave the heart. As blood enters the large arteries the pressure builds up and shuts the semi lunar valves. The blood buildup in the atrium then forces the A-V valves open and the cycle repeats.
When listening with a stethoscope the low-pitched sound (or 1st heart sound) is caused by the A-V valves closing to prevent backflow from the ventricles, while the rapid snap second sound is that of the aortic and pulmonary valves closing to prevent backflow from the arteries to the ventricles.
There are 3 muscle fibers in the heart: atrial, ventricular (both are like skeletal muscle), and conductive fibers. The normal heart beats about 72 times per minute. Intense parasympathetic stimulation can decrease it to 20-30 beats per minute. An excessive potassium and sodium ion in the extra cellular fluid also slows the heart. Intense sympathetic stimulation can increase the heart rate to 250-300 beats per minute. Excessive calcium in the extra cellular fluid also speeds the heart.
The S-A node in the right atrium controls the heart rate by generating action potentials at the rate of about 72 per minute. The S-A node fibers go into the atrium causing it to contract. The fibers also stimulate the A-V node which delays the impulse about 1/10th of a second before it travels through the Purkinje fibers to cause the ventricles to contract.
Parasympathetic and sympathetic fibers attach to the S-A and A-V nodes to change the heart rate when necessary. Pressure on the spinal nerves from the upper thoracic spine can irritate the sympathetic fibers and effect the heart rate.
Heavy exercise over many weeks and months will cause the heart muscle to hypertrophy and the chambers of the ventricles to enlarge. This increases the effectiveness of the heart by allowing it to pump more blood with each beat, thus less beats are needed. Heavy exercise will also cause more blood vessels to the heart to be built to increase its food supply. This will also decrease the likelihood of heart attack. The arteries supplying the heart are known as the coronary arteries.
Symptoms of Heart Dysfunction
By the ages of 16-20 years over ½ the population show evidence of hardening of the arteries. Symptoms of heart dysfunction can include irregular heart beat, pain in the chest that may travel down the left arm, fatigue with exertion, being easily winded, coughing frequently, restless, pale, increased anxiety, swelling in the lower legs.
Angina is a pressure or squeezing sensation especially in the mid or upper sternal region. It can radiate to the neck, jaw, and teeth, and will increase after meals, during exercise, and with emotional upset.
Causes of Heart Dysfunction
In the U.S. there are over 1 million deaths per year due to coronary heart disease. It is estimated that over 10 million Americans suffer from this disease. Causes include:
1) Smoking increases the risk of heart disease. Nicotine increases the fatty buildup on arterial walls causing vasoconstriction and decreased blood flow, thus increasing your susceptibility to heart attack. Women smokers are nine times more likely to die from coronary heart disease than non-smokers. Deaths in general from coronary heart disease are 70% higher in smokers.
2) Caffeine can lead to ventricular fibrillation and possible heart attacks. People that drink at least six cups of coffee a day increase their risk of heart disease by 120%.
3) A diet high in sugar will cause platelets to clump, damage to arteriole walls, and eventually hardening of the arteries. Diets high in refined carbohydrates (white sugar, white flour, etc.) can cause the liver to over manufacture cholesterol.
4) Birth control pills, estrogen replacement therapy, long-term intake of vitamin D pills, all increase the likelihood of heart problems.
5) A diet too high in protein (over 15% of the total food intake) increases cardiac output by 30% to aid digestion. This if done habitually can overwork the heart. Evidence also suggests that increased protein intake will increase cholesterol levels and hardening of the arteries.
6) A toxic bowel won't be able to eliminate cholesterol well and can lead to fatty deposits in the blood vessels.
7) A person with an under active thyroid will have an increased amount of blood fat and be more susceptible to heart attacks (see thyroid chapter).
8) Hypoadrenia causing lowered aldosterone output can cause cardiac arrhythmias as can ileocecal valve syndrome (see respective chapters).
9) Nerve pressure in the upper thoracic spine can cause heart problems (see Appendix A).
10) A vitamin B deficiency can cause heart palpitations.
11) Ulcer patients fed a high milk diet have twice the incidence of heart attacks as ulcer patients not on a high milk diet.
12) Vegetarian Seventh-day Adventists suffer from 84% less coronary heart disease than the general population (they abstain from tobacco, caffeine, alcohol, and meat). Non-vegetarian Seventh-day Adventists suffer from 45% less coronary heart disease. Meat eating thus appears to be a causative factor in heart problems.
13) A lack of magnesium appears to produce heart problems. Low hydrochloric acid, high protein diet, dairy products, and a diet high in refined foods, all tend to produce magnesium deficiencies.
14) Fat in the blood damages arterial walls and causes hardening of the arteries. Diets high in either animal fat or vegetable fat (oils, margarine, etc.) tend to create this change.
15) Alcohol, vegetable oil, and margarine, all cause red blood cells to clump together. This can block blood flow to capillaries and cause decreased oxygen supply, damage to the circulatory system and cells it supplies nutrients to.
16) Hardening of the arteries due to any of the above causes or any other factor that decreases oxygen supply can cause angina. Not dressing warmly enough can stimulate angina.
17) A hiatal hernia can mimic heart problems (see stomach chapter).
18) A hypertonic nodule on the right pectoralis major muscle between the 5th and 6th ribs may cause increased heart rate and premature contractions. Deactivating the nodule by deep manual pressure for 2 minutes will cause the symptoms to cease. A hypertonic nodule on the left pectoralis major can cause pain radiation down the left arm mimicking heart problems. When deactivating these palpate for the exact location (it should initially be quite tender and aggravate the symptoms with pressure) and put sustained pressure on while the muscle is in a stretched position.
Other Indications of Heart Dysfunction
3) In a normally functioning circulatory system your pulse should be under 75 beats per minute and feel equal on both sides. Your blood pressure should be under 130/85.
Prevention and Treatment of Heart Dysfunction
1) Abstain from tobacco, caffeine, meat, refined fats (lard, margarine, and oil), and sugar.
2) Don't overeat in general and don't overeat protein or fat. Get your weight down to a normal level. For every 5 pounds of extra weight you carry your body needs 4 more miles of blood vessels.
3) Minimize salt intake to help maintain blood pressure. Don't take vitamin D supplements or vitamin D enriched milk (avoiding all milk and cheese is ideal).
4) Sunlight can cause cholesterol on the skin to change to vitamin D. As you get more and more sunlight the body will bring more cholesterol to the surface. A two-hour sunbath can lower serum cholesterol levels by 13%. Sunlight can also lower blood pressure between 6-40mm. and this drop will last 5-6 days. Pulse rate will also decrease.
5) Make sure your thyroid, adrenals; liver, and colon are all working correctly and not causing heart dysfunction.
6) Exercise will strengthen the heart muscle allowing each beat to pump more blood. Less beats are needed and the heart will get the "rest" it needs. Exercise will decrease your resting pulse and blood pressure. Exercise will also build up your collateral circulation growing more blood vessels to the heart to supply it with oxygen and nutrients. This decreases the likelihood of coronary heart disease.