The time period “hard-hearted” first appeared with Chaucer within the thirteenth century. Then, as now, having a tough coronary heart indicated an absence of pity or mercy. But it appears this emotional toughness mirrored a bodily state of being, an precise arduous coronary heart.
The factor is, our medieval ancestors weren’t solely improper. A coronary heart can truly calcify. And extra generally, your arteries can harden from the buildup of plaque. This hardening within the arterial partitions, or atherosclerosis, could not make you imply. But it may well result in coronary heart illness, stroke, coronary heart assaults, and peripheral artery illness.
Avoid a Hard Heart
Many individuals who have clogged arteries do not know it. In truth, about half of all males of their 50s have some buildup of their arteries.
So what are you able to do? You can forestall plaque buildup. Pay consideration to your healthcare on an ongoing foundation.
In honor of Heart Month 2025, be sure to’re taking good care of your coronary heart. No matter your age or gender, you will discover issues you are able to do on this overview of heart-healthy steps.
How to Prevent Heart Disease
See our entire library of coronary heart well being articles.
Bonus: What Does it Mean to Have a Heavy Heart?
Is it potential {that a} ‘heavy coronary heart’ is greater than an idiom, too? Most of us have skilled the type of disappointment and grief that trigger a sense, each emotional and bodily, of being weighed down, such as you’re shifting via sludge.
Your precise coronary heart can develop thick and gradual, too. The trigger may even originate with feelings. A heavy coronary heart can occur from:
- Stress that weighs you down can certainly contribute to coronary heart illness
- Cardiomyopathy and coronary heart failure, as each stem from an enlarged, sluggish coronary heart
A Final Note: Idioms
We use phrases, metaphors, and analogies, to make our emotions comprehensible. We discuss damaged hearts, mild hearts, chilly hearts and heat ones. As science discovers extra concerning the brain-body connections, we begin to discover that this need in our language to make the summary concrete is greater than whimsical. It’s a mirrored image of how interconnected dis-ease of thoughts and physique could be.
This doesn’t suggest, nonetheless, you could remedy illness via emotion, or deal with emotional issue via medicines or surgical procedure. Yes, a optimistic perspective may also help sickness. And sure, train and food plan impacts temper. Still, we should do not forget that these areas of the self do require distinct consideration.
So, when you have a tough or heavy coronary heart that’s purely emotional, do not see a heart specialist. And when you have coronary heart illness, please make an appointment with a physician for care.