HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE?

For the heart to pump blood round the body: one minute

YOUR heart beats 100,000 times a day, pumping five litres of blood through the circulatory system. The average body contains around 60,000 miles of arteries, veins and capillaries.

‘On average, blood takes about a minute to circulate the body — although the exact rate depends on factors such as body size, heart size and blood pressure,’ says Chris Allen, a senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation. Circulatory speed also increases during exercise, when the heart can beat up to five times faster than normal. Conversely, some health problems can slow the speed. ‘Heart failure, where the heart muscle is weakened and can’t pump blood around the body as effectively, slows the speed of circulation, but in some cases, this is beneficial,’ says Mr Allen. ‘This improves symptoms and helps slow further damage.’