By Elena Voropay

If you're like most people, you think that heart disease is a problem for other folks. But heart disease is the number one killer in the U.S. It is also a major cause of disability. There are many different forms of heart disease. The most common cause of heart disease is narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries, the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart itself. This is called coronary artery disease and happens slowly over time. It's the major reason people have heart attacks. Other kinds of heart problems may happen to the valves in the heart, or the heart may not pump well and cause heart failure. Some people are born with heart disease.

• Your heart is found in the middle of your chest, not on the left hand side as many people might think. Precisely, your heart is safely placed between the lungs, tipped slightly so part of it taps against the left side of the chest.

• Your heart beats about 100 times a day, or 35 million times a year. By the time you reach 70, this most important organ will complete 2.5 billion beats – and that's a lot of work!

• An average heart pumps about 200 million litres of blood in a lifetime.

• A man's heart weighs about 280 grams, which is 25 per cent larger than woman's.

• Even at rest, your heart muscle works twise as hard as your leg muscles when sprinting.

• An adult heart is about the size of two fists, while a child's heart is only one fist.

• More heart attacks occur on a Monday than any other day.

• Heart disease kills one Australian every 20 minutes including 32 women every day.