"More than all else that is to be guarded safeguard your heart, for out of it are the sources of life." — Proverbs 4:23

The heart is a pump — an incredible bundle of muscles. At birth a heart weighs less than two ounces and it takes a decade to reach its final weight of just over a pound. The heart can alter its own rhythm and stroke volume, not to mention it's the only organ associated with emotion. Think of the expressions "My heart soars with joy," or "my heart is filled with sorrow." The list of phrases referring to the emotional heart goes on and on. You'd never hear someone say that his or her liver aches with bitterness. Heartfelt joy, sadness, anger and jealousy are all emotions that create a myriad of chemical changes in the body, which affect the whole physiology of the mind and body.

Now let us take a look at the importance of the physiology of the heart and how we can prevent heart disease. More than 38,000 Americans suffer from some form of heart disease. Of these, more than 500,000 have heart attacks each year, with 50 % dying within the first 24 hours. Today there isn't a disease that claims as many lives.

The major risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD) are age, sex, elevated blood lipids, hypertension, cigarette smoking, obesity, physical inactivity, diet and heredity. It is difficult to quantitatively determine the importance of a single CHD risk factor since many of the factors are interrelated. For example, blood lipid abnormalities, diabetes, heredity and obesity often go hand-in-hand.

Participating in aerobic activity regularly can lower elevated blood pressure. Body weight, body fat and elevated blood lipids can be favorably modified with prudent exercise and diet. Exercise may retard the heart disease process because it helps maintain an adequate supply of blood to the heart muscle to compensate for those channels already narrowed by fatty deposits on the vascular walls.

Research indicates that low fat diets may steadily decrease your risk for CHD. Weight loss and accompanying fat reduction generally contribute to normalizing cholesterols and have beneficial effect on blood pressure.

Personality type appears to contribute to susceptibility to heart disease. Psychologists characterize those with "Type A" personality as hard driving, ambitious, impatient, short-tempered, hostile and restless. This type of personality often sets off recurrent and excessive stimulation of the body's 'fight or flight' hormonal response that may be detrimental to the health of the heart. If you tend to exhibit "Type A" personality behaviors, regular exercise is an excellent way to vent tension and reduce external and internal stress. Take quiet time to calm your mind and body. Resting in a calm state can significantly alter the heart disease process.

Reflecting on what Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "Finish each day and be done with it. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well." Focus on ways you can make positive changes each day that will help you maintain a healthy heart.