Everyday, the heart pumps approximately 3,000 gallons of blood throughout the body. To accomplish this continuous workload, the heart feeds oxygen-rich blood to its own tissue via the coronary arteries. Coronary artery disease refers to the event in which one or more of these arteries becomes clogged due to plaque build-up. When this occurs, blood supply to the heart is cut off, depriving it of oxygen, which results in chest pain or, in more severe cases, heart attack . The four main arteries associated with heart disease are the right coronary, left main, left anterior descending and circumflex coronary arteries.
Right Coronary Artery
Extending perpendicularly from the aorta, the right coronary artery runs along the right side of the heart, from the upper atrium down to the lower ventricle. Branching off this vessel are smaller arteries, such as the posterior descending artery, which collectively supply blood to the right atrium and ventricle. This artery also supplies a small percentage of blood to the left ventricle. Joseph G. Murphy M.D., co-author of "Mayo Clinic Cardiology: Concise Textbook," says diseases of the right coronary artery arise six to eight times more often than those of the left coronary.
Left Main Coronary Artery
The left main coronary artery comes out from the aorta on the left side of the heart. In most people, it branches off into the left anterior descending and circumflex arteries. However, in one third of the population, an additional branch called the intermediate artery or ramus intermedius is present, explains physician-author Murphy.
Left Anterior Descending Caronary Artery
Traveling down the front side of the heart and to its bottom-most point, the apex, the left anterior descending artery supplies blood to the front and bottom side of the left ventricle. Branches coming off this artery called diagonals provide flow to the bottom of the left ventricle and a small section of the right ventricle.
Circumflex Coronary Artery
The circumflex coronary artery laterally runs down the heart's left side, supplying blood to the left atrium and left ventricle's lateral area with the aid of its obtuse marginal branch. In 10 percent of the population, the circumflex branches off into a posterior descending branch, which nourishes the back side of the left ventricle as well, notes cardiologist Murphy. Furthermore, the MayoClinic.com physician explains that the circumflex artery is a common site of heart disease-causing plaque formation.
References
- Cleveland Clinic: Understanding Coronary Artery Disease
- "Mayo Clinic Cardiology: Concise Textbook"; Applied Anatomy of the Heart and Great Vessels:; Joseph G. Murphy, M.D.; 2007
