Coronary circulation
hideCoronary circulation is the circulation of blood in the blood vessels of the heart muscle. Although blood fills the chambers of the heart, the muscle tissue of the heart (the myocardium) is so thick that it requires coronary blood vessels to deliver blood deep into it. The vessels that deliver oxygen-rich blood to the myocardium are known as coronary arteries. The vessels that remove the deoxygenated blood from the heart muscle are known as coronary veins.
The coronary arteries that run on the surface of the heart are called epicardial coronary arteries. These arteries, when healthy, are capable of autoregulation to maintain coronary blood flow at levels appropriate to the needs of the heart muscle. These relatively narrow vessels are commonly affected by atherosclerosis and can become blocked, causing angina or a heart attack. (See also: circulatory system.) The coronary arteries that run deep within the myocardium are referred to as subendocardial.
The coronary arteries are classified as "end circulation", since they represent the only source of blood supply to the myocardium: there is very little redundant blood supply, which is why blockage of these vessels can be so critical.
For more information about Coronary circulation, read the full article at
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News tagged with coronary artery
Hope for patients with type 2 diabetes
Dec 03, 2009 |
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The outlook for individuals with type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease is not as grim as originally believed, according to new Saint Louis University research published in Circulation, the Journal of the American He ...
Severe asymptomatic heart disease may accompany narrowing in leg arteries
Dec 01, 2009 |
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Results of a randomized, controlled clinical trial presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) reveal that one in five patients with narrowing or blockage in arteries that supply ...
Preventing repeat strokes -- are survivors taking their medicine?
Dec 01, 2009 |
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Since 1999, stroke survivors have been advised to use aspirin, prescription antiplatelet agents, or prescription anticoagulants to help avoid another stroke. Many large surveys of the U.S. population have reported the use ...
New Anti-Clotting Medication Not More Effective than Standard Care; Hint of Other Clinical Benefits
Medicine & Health / Medications
Nov 17, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Two large studies confirmed that an investigational, reversible anti-clotting medication failed to show greater effectiveness than clopidogrel or a placebo for patients undergoing a procedure to open blocked ...
New Test May Predict Heart Disease Events and the Effect of Weight Loss on Insulin Resistance
Nov 17, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Chemical fingerprints produced by the body's normal metabolic processes predict who will suffer cardiovascular events and who will benefit from weight loss by reduction of insulin resistance, according two ...
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Nov 18, 2009 |
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The routine prescription of extended-release niacin, a B vitamin (1,500 milligrams daily), in combination with traditional cholesterol-lowering therapy offers no extra benefit in correcting arterial narrowing and diminishing ...
Women suffering sudden cardiac arrest have lower prevalence of structural heart disease than men
Nov 17, 2009 |
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A woman who suffers sudden cardiac arrest is significantly less likely than a man to exhibit the decrease in the heart's pumping ability that is widely recognized as a precursor, says a new study in the Nov. 24 Journal of ...
