Common Heart Questions Answered

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Is it true my heart can get bigger and stronger?

Yes! Like the Grinch's, your ticker can expand over time. "This is known as 'athlete's heart'," says Dr Walker.

"It's like if you lift weights and your arm muscles get bigger and stronger with repeated activity. If you're a regular athlete, this can make your heart beat more efficiently."

Sometimes my heart flutters for a few seconds. Is this normal?

"It's not actually normal, but it is very common," says Dr Ross. A healthy heart maintains a steady rhythm of 50 to 90 beats per minute (the average woman's heart beats some 35 million times a year!), but outside stimuli such as alcohol, caffeine or certain medicines can momentarily throw it off track.

"The fluttering is typically due to some sort of atrial ectopic beat from the top chambers of the heart. I suggest to anyone who experiences this type of heart fluttering to take fish oil (at least four grams a day) or krill oil (at least 500mg a day). This is a good preventative."

What's the deal with athletes suffering from heart attacks - is there such thing as too much exercise?

"The answer to that is best described in what the Buddhists call the Middle Path," says Dr Walker. "Super athletes are extremely fit but no healthier than people who exercise for three to five hours per week. Some people are predisposed to either early coronary artery disease or less well known conditions such as 'hypertrophic cardiomyopathy', which is the commonest cause of death in athletes under the age of 40. Most people can get away with excessive exercise, unless they have one of those conditions."

A lot of my older relatives have heart disease. Will I get it too?

Not necessarily. While genetics play a role in cardiac health, you're largely in control of your heart's future. "If your relatives suffered heart disease in their 70s and 80s this isn't as significant as if it happens to a first degree relative (your parents, siblings or children) under the age of 60."

More:

- 5 ways to safeguard your heart
- Heart-healthy foods to help you live stronger
- What it feels like to have a heart attack