Elsevier

Cardiovascular Pathology

Volume 13, Issue 5, September–October 2004, Pages 282-292
Cardiovascular Pathology

Education
A light-hearted look at a lion-hearted organ (or, a perspective from three standard deviations beyond the norm) Part 1 (of two parts)

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carpath.2004.05.001Get rights and content

Abstract

Throughout history, the heart has been associated not only with its life-sustaining function but also with its close ties to the human emotions. In this literature and Internet review, we attempt to gather and organize information from both of these perspectives as they relate to the heart in the following 11 categories: (1) fun facts, (2) medical photography, (3) history, (4) languages (etymology), (5) nonmedical English expressions, (6) death, (7) the arts, (8) movie titles, (9) song titles, (10) Shakespeare, and (11) the Bible. Part 1 will cover the first five topics, and Part 2 will cover the last six topics. These data may be useful to those who are engaged in teaching about the cardiovascular system.

Introduction

A wealth of interesting cardiovascular information is available in nonmedical sources, but these are numerous and often not readily accessible. The purpose of the current report is to compile and organize this information in a single reference for easy access. The material that follows includes data presented (by W.D.E.) in lectures for medical students, residents, and fellows, and at national meetings over the past 14 years. Much of the old material has been updated, and substantial new material has been added (by M.J.L.). This information may be useful to those who prepare lectures dealing with the cardiovascular system.

Section snippets

The heart in fun facts

The heart is an amazingly resilient fist-sized bundle of muscle, both in health and in disease, and the vasculature is no less remarkable (Table 1) [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7], [8], [9], [10], [11], [12], [13], [14], [15]. Each day, the heart beats approximately 100,000 times and pumps over 7500 liters of blood.

Heart rate is inversely related to body size. This is true not only for humans of various ages and sizes (Table 1) but also for animals (Table 2) [15], [16], [17]. The heart of a

The heart in medical photography

Photographs of the heart and vessels may appear abstract to medical students and others. To relate disease states to commonly encountered objects, pathologists traditionally have made food analogies, such as “bread-and-butter” pericarditis (Fig. 1). A nonfood analogy is the “fishmouth deformity” of rheumatic mitral stenosis (Fig. 2). Such photographs have great teaching value and are often long remembered by students [18], [19]. Topics are limited only by one's imagination. For example, to

The heart in history

The history of cardiovascular discoveries may be appropriate to include in our lectures (Table 3) [10], [13], [14], [20], [21], [22], [23], [24], [25], [26], [27], [28], [29], [30], [31], [32], [33], [34], [35], [36], [37]. More than 1800 years ago, Galen concluded that the heart pumped blood throughout the body, although he did not recognize that blood was contained within vessels. Over 1400 years elapsed before William Harvey, in 1628, demonstrated the circulation of blood within the

The heart in languages (etymology)

The Indo–European root word for heart is “kerd”, which has its derivation in the Sanskrit word “hrid” (“h” corresponds phonetically to “k”). [14], [34]) From these arose “cor” (Latin), “kardia” (Greek), and “herton” (German). Our English words “cordial”, “courage”, and “discord” come from “cor”, whereas “cardiac” and “cardiology” are derived from “kardia”.

The English word “heart” has been in common usage since the 16th century [14], [38]. Its roots can be traced to “hert” or “herte” (Middle

The heart in nonmedical English expressions

Emotional events cause catecholamine release and a rapid change in the rate and force of myocardial contractility. Without having to understand the underlying physiology, nearly every culture (and nearly every person) has recognized a link between the heart and the emotions. In love and in fear, our hearts may skip a beat or pound in our chests. As Dr. Bernadine Healy [25] reminds us, “A beating heart is the joyous first sign of life, and it's the sad final thump that marks the moment of death”.

Summary

Part 1 of this literature and Internet review organizes medical and nonmedical information about the cardiovascular system into five topics: (1) fun facts, (2) medical photography, (3) history, (4) language (etymology), and (5) nonmedical English expressions. Part 2 will review six additional topics: (1) death, (2) the arts, (3) movie titles, (4) song titles, (5) Shakespeare, and (6) the Bible.

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    Presented, in part, by Dr. Edwards during the Cardiovascular Unit of the Pathophysiology Course, Mayo Medical School (October 1992–2002, and January 2004); during the Internal Medicine Morbidity–Mortality Conference, Mayo Graduate School of Medicine (near Valentine's Day, 1993–1996, 2000, 2002, and 2004); during the Cardiovascular Pathology Specialty Conference, United States–Canadian Academy of Pathology Annual Meeting (March, 1995–1997); and for the Division of Anatomic Pathology (February 14, 1996).

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