Patient Resources
Supporting and empowering Albertans to educate themselves about their heart health.
Patient Resources
Supporting and empowering Albertans to inform and educate themselves about their health.
How the Heart Works
The heart is a muscle responsible for pumping blood throughout your body. This section will teach you about how your heart works.
To start, there are two types of heart cells; each contributes in its own way to enable the heart to pump blood to the rest of your body. Both cell types make up a different component of the heart’s function:
- The electrical component – made up of Myocardial Conducting Cells (AKA “pacemaker cells”) that act like electrical wiring throughout the heart. This is what generates the electrical impulse that will eventually cause the heart to beat. It is the electrical component that we can see on your electrocardiogram (ECG).
- The mechanical component – this is made up of Myocardial Contractile Cells (AKA “heart muscle”) that act like rubber bands to expand and contract as your heart fills and empties with blood. This is what generates your pulse and is what allows for blood to be pushed throughout your body.
Anatomy of the Heart
The heart is made of four chambers:
- The left and right atria at the top of the heart and
- The left and right ventricles at the bottom of the heart.
The left and right side of the heart is separated by a wall of heart muscle called the ‘septum’. The atria on both sides of the heart are separated from the ventricles by valves that make sure the blood flows in the right direction.
Blood from the body enters the right atrium and is pushed into the right ventricle. The right ventricle then sends the blood to the lungs where it picks up oxygen and returns to the left atrium. Blood then moves into the left ventricle where it is pumped out to the entire body all the way to your fingers and toes. This provides your body with the oxygen and nutrients it needs to keep you alive and healthy.
Arteries are the blood vessels in your body that carry blood AWAY from the heart. Veins are blood vessels that carry blood TOWARDS the heart.
To learn more about how the heart pumps, click here.
Electricity of the Heart
The heart’s pumping action is regulated by an electrical conduction system that coordinates the contraction of all four chambers. All people are born with a natural pacemaker in our hearts called the Sinoatrial (SA) node. This is located at the top right-hand side of the heart and acts as a ‘generator’ of electrical activity.
Once the SA node “fires” electricity, it begins to move down the heart and towards the left, passing through the Atrioventricular (AV) node and into the ventricles. As the electricity moves through the atria, the contraction cells of the heart are triggered and the top chambers squeeze together, emptying the blood into the ventricles. Electricity then continues on through the ventricles, causing them to squeeze blood out of the heart and to the rest of your body.
To summarize how the electrical activity works with the contraction cells, click here.
Medical Terms + Definitions Related to Heart Disease
Living a heart healthy life means eating a healthy balanced diet, and incorporating moderate physical activity as deemed safe by your physician. Your healthcare team, including a Registered Dietitian and Chronic Disease Management Nurse can help you with these changes.
In this section you will find information sheets and videos to help you make changes to live a happy, heart healthy lifestyle.
Acute Myocardial Infarction: Sometimes called heart attack. A heart attack occurs when low blood flow causes the heart to starve for oxygen. Heart muscle dies or becomes permanently damaged.
Aneurysm: A localized, blood-filled dilation (balloon-like bulge) of a blood vessel caused by disease or weakening of the vessel wall.
Angina Pectoris: Severe squeezing or pressure-like chest pain, brought on by exertion or stress. Usually a symptom of heart disease.
Aortic Aneurysm: A weakened and bulging area in the aorta, the major blood vessel that feeds blood to the body. A ruptured aortic aneurysm can cause life-threatening bleeding.
Arteriosclerosis: A group of diseases characterized by thickening and loss of elasticity of arterial walls. Sometimes called “hardening of the arteries”.
Atherosclerosis: A process in which deposits of yellowish plaques (atheroma) containing cholesterol and other materials are formed within arteries. An atheroma can increase in size and harden over time reducing blood flow. It can potentially result in bleeding into and subsequently clotting of an artery resulting in a heart attack.
Body Mass Index (BMI): A measure of human body size and proportion. It is defined as the weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters.
Cardiovascular Diseases: Cardiovascular disease refers to the class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels (arteries and veins).
Cerebrovascular Disease: Any disease by which the arteries in the brain, or are connected to the brain, are defective. Frequently used interchangeably with the term “Stroke.”
Cholesterol: Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that occurs naturally in all parts of the body. Elevated LDL cholesterol levels are associated with atherosclerosis.
Congestive Heart Failure: A condition in which the heart can’t pump enough blood to the body’s other organs. The “failing” heart keeps working but not as efficiently as it should.
Diabetes: Diabetes is a disease of insulin production and utilization. There are two major classifications, insulin dependent diabetes (IDD) or type I and non-insulin dependent diabetes (NIDD) or type II. Diabetes is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
Embolism: The sudden blocking of an artery by a clot or foreign material which has been brought to the site by the blood current.
Exercise Stress Test: A diagnostic test done on a treadmill during which the workload on the heart will gradually increase as the speed and height of the treadmill are increased at three-minute intervals.
Hypertension (High Blood Pressure): Generally defined as diastolic (when the heart is relaxing) blood pressure equal to or greater than 90 mm HG or systolic (when the heart is pumping) blood pressure equal to or greater than 140 mm HG. Hypertension is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
Ischemic Heart Disease: Any condition in which heart muscle is damaged or works inefficiently because of a deficiency of blood supply, most often caused by atherosclerosis. Also called coronary heart disease (CHD).
Lipoproteins: A combination of cholesterol and protein that is used to transport cholesterol through the blood stream. High-density lipoproteins (HDL) are known as “good” cholesterol, while low-density lipoproteins (LDL) are known as “bad” cholesterol.
Necrosis: Cellular death affecting groups of cells, part of a structure or an organ.
Obesity: A relative term for excessive accumulation of fat in the body, a generally accepted measure of obesity is having a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30. Obesity/physical inactivity are risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
Occlusion: Coronary occlusion is the complete obstruction of an artery of the heart, usually from atherosclerosis.
Physical Inactivity: A relative term which refers to lack of exercise or a sedentary lifestyle. Obesity/physical inactivity are risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
Risk Factor: A risk factor is an attribute which is associated with an increased probability of a disease.
Sedentary Lifestyle: Loosely defined as low levels of physical activity over extended periods of time. Lack of physical exercise is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
Smoking: Inhaling cigarette smoke. Smoking is a strong risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
Stenosis: Narrowing or constricting of a duct, canal or blood vessel.
Stroke: A condition that results in a disruption of blood flow to a region of the brain causing irreversible “death” of brain tissue. This can be due to ischemia (lack of blood supply) caused by thrombosis (blood clot) or embolism (blockage), or due to a hemorrhage (bleeding).
Thallium Test: A Thallium Stress test looks at the blood flow to your heart muscle at rest and during stress. During a stress test, a radioactive material called Thallium is injected into a vein. A gamma camera takes pictures of the Thallium in the heart and areas of abnormal blood flow are identified.
Thrombus (Thrombosis): Commonly referred to as a blood clot frequently causing a blockage in a blood vessel.
Waist-Hip Ratio: The ratio of waist circumference (cm) to hip circumference (cm). It is used as a measurement of obesity.
Diet + Lifestyle Information
In this section you will find information sheets and videos to help you make changes to live a happy, heart healthy lifestyle.
Physical Activity
Physical activity is an important component of living a heart healthy lifestyle. It is recommended that adults get 150 minutes of moderate-vigorous intensity exercise every week. To learn more about getting active visit the Heart & Stroke Foundation.
Heart Healthy Diets
There are many different heart healthy diets out there. Following healthy dietary patterns is a key step in the prevention and management of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The two dietary patterns most widely used for the treatment of CVD include the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) and the Mediterranean diet. A Registered Dietitian can help you decide what changes you should make to your diet to improve your heart health.
DASH Diet
Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension were tailored for the specific purpose of lowering blood pressure. Hypertension is associated with the development of other CVD, so the DASH diet may prevent the risks of CVD by improving insulin resistance and lipid profiles, controlling fasting blood sugar, and reducing inflammation. The specific requirements of this diet consist of whole grains, vegetables, fruits, lean meats, meat alternatives, low-fat dairy products and limited fats and sweets. The diet emphasizes the consumption of mostly plant-based foods. It recommends 2000 calories per day and reducing sodium (salt) to 1500mg per day.
Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean diet is a traditional diet of the people of Crete and Italy. It is used to promote healthy eating habits and prevent chronic disease like cardiovascular disease. Various research suggests that the Mediterranean diet has protective heart benefits such as, reduced blood pressure, decrease in waist circumference, improvement in insulin and cholesterol levels, and reduction of inflammation. The Mediterranean diet has no specific caloric restrictions.
Meals are based on fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, olive oil in replacement to animal fats, beans, nuts, legumes and seeds, herbs, and spices. The diet recommends fish and seafood to be consumed at least twice a week, moderate intake of poultry, eggs and dairy weekly, and a limited intake of red meat and sweets.