Spaghetti

I like to listen to Dr. Kenneth Cooper's radio show (available online). A recent episode had a discussion of cardiovascular disease. One point they made stood out, most of our arteries, when healthy, have an opening the size of cooked spaghetti. Memories of high school first aid class had made me think of arteries that could spurt blood several feet if cut (and I guess it's possible even at this size - think about a water pistol), making me think of opening the size of a finger.

This radical size difference makes very vivid, to me at least, just how important it is to minimize arterial plaqueing. Think for a moment how easy it is for a little bit of fat or scab from in a vessel to break loose and block blood flow. Frightening, isn't it? I bet you're going to be more diligent about diet and exercise now.