The coronary arteries, also known as coronary vessels, include the coronary arteries or coronary arteries and the coronary veins or coronary veins. They supply oxygen and nutrients to the heart through the blood and remove deoxygenated blood. They are essential for normal heart function.
What are coronary arteries?
Coronary arteries are blood vessels that cover the heart in a fine network, supplying oxygen and nutrients to the heart muscle. They are also called coronary vessels because the Latin word coronarius means crown- or wreath-shaped. Often, the term coronary vessels refers only to the coronary arteries, but the coronary veins are also included in the coronary arteries. The coronary arteries (arteriae coronariae) include two large blood vessels, the left coronary artery or arteria coronaria sinistra, and the right coronary artery or arteria coronaria dexta. Fine branches of blood vessels split off from these in their course to form a wreath around the heart. The three largest vessels of the coronary veins (venae cordis) are the vena cordis media, the vena cordis parva and the vena cordis magna. There are also numerous smaller coronary veins. Because of its high oxygen consumption, the heart depends on above-average blood flow for normal function, which is provided by the coronary veins.
Anatomy and structure
The two coronary arteries arise just above the aortic valve from the indentation of the aorta, the main artery of the human body. The left coronary artery splits into two main trunks, the ramus circumflexus and the ramus interventricularis anterior. For this reason, it is sometimes referred to as three coronary arteries instead of two.Other fine branches arise from the large blood vessels, just as in the right coronary artery, and are distributed in a network over the heart muscle. The large coronary veins run largely parallel to the coronary arteries before the deoxygenated blood carried in the veins collects in the so-called sinus coronarius, which is located at the back of the heart, and from there enters the right atrium of the heart. Blood from the smaller coronary veins enters the right atrium and other heart chambers directly. In this process, blood is transported in the veins at a much lower pressure than in the arteries.
Function and Tasks
The coronary arteries are responsible for supplying the heart muscle with oxygen and nutrients. Therefore, to ensure the smooth functioning of the heart, a good blood supply to the vessels is very important. The heart and blood vessels together form the cardiovascular system. In most cases, the left coronary artery is responsible for supplying oxygen-rich blood to the left atrium and the muscles of the left ventricle. It is also responsible for supplying much of the interventricular septum (the dividing wall between the left and right ventricles of the heart) and, to some extent, the anterior wall of the right ventricle. The right coronary artery supplies oxygenated blood to the right atrium, the muscles of the right ventricle, the posterior portion of the interventricular septum, the sinoatrial and AV nodes, and partially to the posterior wall of the left ventricle. This type of supply to the heart muscle is referred to as the intermediate type, which is prevalent in three-quarters of the population. However, there is also the so-called left-supply type, in which the left coronary artery is more developed and also supplies the posterior wall of the ventricle. In the right-supplier type, the right coronary artery is correspondingly more developed and the anterior wall of the ventricle is also supplied by this blood vessel. While the coronary arteries transport oxygen- and nutrient-rich blood to the heart, the coronary veins are responsible for removing oxygen-depleted blood containing carbon dioxide and other waste products.
Diseases and symptoms
Chest pain that can sometimes radiate to the left arm, back, abdomen, or jaw, a tightness feeling in the chest, or shortness of breath and shortness of breath may be indications of coronary artery disease, or coronary artery disease. In this case, deposits form in the inner lining of the coronary vessels, which are colloquially referred to as vascular calcification (arteriosclerosis).This leads to a narrowing and stiffening of the blood vessels, which can lead to disturbances in the transport of blood and thus to a reduced supply of oxygen and nutrients to the heart. If the inner diameter of the vessel is constricted by less than 50 percent, there are usually no symptoms. If the constriction is more severe and can lead to complete occlusion of the vessel, the heart is no longer supplied adequately. There is an imbalance between the heart muscle’s need for oxygen and the supply, which leads to so-called angina pectoris with chest pain, a feeling of tightness in the chest and shortness of breath. These symptoms occur especially under stress, when the heart’s oxygen consumption can increase four- to fivefold. At rest, the symptoms initially disappear completely, provided that the vasoconstriction has not yet progressed too far. One or more coronary vessels may be affected by the process, which begins insidiously. If the coronary vessel is completely blocked, this leads to the death of the heart muscle area supplied by the respective vessel. The consequences of coronary artery disease can be a heart attack or sudden cardiac death. Other complications include heart failure or cardiac arrhythmias. In addition to coronary artery stenosis due to deposits, vasospasm can also cause narrowing of the vessels and thus impaired blood flow. In vasospasm, the muscles of the blood vessels tense.
