The heart

The heart is the engine that powers the body. It is the centre of the circulatory system, pumping oxygenated blood around the body in arteries and returning it in veins. The lub-dub of a heartbeat is the rhythm that underlies all of human life. Since the heart is so important to keeping a human body running, heart disease is deadly. Maintaining your cardiovascular health includes keeping an eye on your blood pressure and cholesterol levels, as well as getting plenty of exercise.

Mending a broken heart – The British Heart Foundation photography competition winners

Take a look at some amazing images of the human heart courtesy of the British Heart Foundation's 'Reflections of Research' photography competition.
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How cutting hidden salt from your diet could slash your risk of heart problems by 10% - a nutritionist explains

For millennia we have used salt to make foods last longer and taste better. But the science surrounding it is tricky – we need some to survive and function, but too much can have consequences for health.
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How many chambers does the heart have?

Your heart beats more than 100,000 times every day.
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Funnel web spider venom may be used to prevent damage caused by heart attacks

Human clinical trials are set to begin on the drug within a year.
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Lack of diversity in gut microbiome may increase the risk of heart failure

Compounds produced in our guts after eating dairy, eggs and red meat can also raise the risk.
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The 7 best heart rate monitors for all levels in 2024

Whether you're a complete beginner, an expert runner or simply someone looking to up their fitness game, these are the best heart rate monitors right now.
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Revolutionary heart transplant procedure carried out on a toddler could lower the risk of organ rejection

The procedure involved transplanting tissue from a gland found in the immune system to encourage the body to accept the donor heart.
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Fixing a broken heart: These incredible images show how regenerative medicine can rebuild you

The British Heart Foundation has announced a £3-million round of funding to help to search for a cure for heart failure.
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Ground-breaking surgery has saved a terminal patient with a genetically modified pig heart

A first-of-its-kind operation that proves a modified animal heart can function just like a human heart without the body rejecting it.
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Does my heart stop beating when I sneeze?

Let the sneezing commence...but do so with care. Gesundheit!
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Why doesn’t my heart get tired?

Dr Nish Manek explains the intriguing biology why your cardiac system rarely slumps.
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A good story, well told, can cause listeners' heart rates to sync up

Are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin, and we'll synchronise our heart rates.
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Regularly drinking coffee may help to protect your heart

Drinking three cups of coffee a day is linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.
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Newly born blood vessels win British Heart Foundation photography prize

Research to heal hearts triumphs in the British Heart Foundation's science image competition.
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Robot paramedic delivers CPR to heart attack patients

The technology being rolled out in the south uses Bluetooth to configure the compression rate and depth needed for a patient's resuscitation.
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Scientists have grown a beating mini heart organoid in the lab

The new heart models – about the size of a sesame seed – were created using 'self-organising' cells.
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NHS 3D heart scans to give 100,000 patients faster treatment

Treatment will be five times faster.
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