Vascular Quiz

1. True or False: Your blood vessels could circle the globe.

ANSWER: True. Blood vessels themselves are small, but the network of vessels that run through the body is so long that if they were laid out, they would measure more the 60,000 miles in length, which is enough to circle the globe TWICE.

2. True or False: Blood vessels are affected by the weather.

ANSWER: True. The circulatory system plays a part in helping to maintain body temperature. When it’s hot outside, blood vessels expand to release heat, thus cooling you down. They also constrict to conserve heat.

3. True or False: Varicose veins only affect women.

ANSWER: False. While varicose veins are more common in women, affecting about 25% of adult females at some point in their life, 10-15% of men get them, too.

4. The following can contribute to developing varicose veins?

ANSWER: All of the above. There are steps you can take to prevent varicose veins from occurring, such as maintaining a healthy weight, getting regular physical activity, and wearing compression socks to help increase blood flow from your legs.

5. How long does it take for blood to circulate through the body?

ANSWER: It takes the heart approximately 20 seconds to circulate blood through the entire body, and just six seconds for blood to circulate to the lungs and back to the heart.

6. True or False: Each day around 2,000 gallons of blood travels through the blood vessels.

ANSWER: True. That equals to about a million barrels over the course of the average lifetime.

7. True or False: Blood vessel damage, like hardening of the arteries, can begin as early as childhood.

ANSWER: True. According to the American Heart Association, obese teens with high blood pressure may show signs of thicker arteries by the time they are 30 years old. Tobacco smoke and obesity can be contributing factors.

ANSWER: False. When you put something cold in your mouth, blood vessels constrict to minimize heat loss, then relax to restore blood flow. This may trigger a burst of pain until the body adapts to the sudden change in temperature.