Reported February 2009

HAVE A HEART: The heart pumps 5.6 liters of blood through the entire body in roughly 20 seconds; each day your blood travels some 12,000 miles, and your heart beats about 100,000 times. This delivers oxygen and other essential nutrients to the body's cells and organs. A heart attack occurs when the blood supply to the heart muscle is cut off, either because part of the heart is damaged (such as the valves to the chambers) or because plaque has built up inside the arteries, narrowing them and severely restricting blood flow. Symptoms of a heart attack include a squeezing discomfort in the center of the chest, pain or tingling in the left arm, shortness of breath and sometimes a cold sweat, nausea or dizziness.

WHAT IS BLOOD PRESSURE? Blood pressure is the force in the arteries when the heart beats and when the heart is at rest. When blood pressure is high, there is an increased risk of heart disease (which leads to heart attack) and stroke. It is most common in adults over age 35 and is especially prevalent in African Americans, the middle-aged and elderly, obese people, heavy drinkers and women who are taking birth control pills. Those with diabetes, gout or kidney disease are also prone to suffer from high blood pressure.

STRESS-REDUCING TIPS: In addition to listening to music, here are some easy, practical things you can do to reduce the amount of stress in your life. (1) Be realistic and don't try to be perfect or expect others to be so. (2) Don't over-schedule; cut out an activity or two when you start to feel overwhelmed. (3) Get a good night's sleep. (4) Get regular exercise to manage stress -- just not excessive or compulsive exercise -- and follow a healthy diet. (5) Learn to relax by building time into your schedule for reading or a nice long bath.

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If you would like more information, please contact:

Bill Seiler, MS, ThM
Assistant Director, Media Relations
University of Maryland Medical Center and
University of Maryland School of Medicine
Baltimore, MD 21201-1595
(410) 328-8919
bseiler@umm.edu

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