Patient Education Caring For Your Heart Booklet | Page 6

Heart Disease
Understanding Your
Heart Condition
Left coronary
artery
Your heart is a pump about the size of
your fi st. As its muscle wall contracts
and relaxes, blood is carried into it
through your blood vessels. As the blood
moves away from your heart through the
arteries, it delivers oxygen and nutrients
to all parts of your body. Veins bring
blood back to your heart, and then
circulate the blood to your lungs to pick
up more oxygen. The heart contracts
(pumps) about 70 times per minute. Just
as the heart pumps blood through your
body, it also pumps blood to your heart
muscle through the coronary arteries.
Circumfl ex
artery
Left
anterior
descending
artery
The coronary arteries provide blood and
oxygen to your heart muscle. There are
two main coronary arteries — the left
and the right.
Right
coronary artery
 The left coronary artery (LCA) splits
into the left anterior descending artery
and the circumfl ex artery.
 The left anterior descending artery
(LAD) supplies blood to the front and
left side of your heart.
 The circumfl ex artery supplies blood
to the left side and back of your heart.
 The right coronary artery (RCA) carries
blood to the right side, bottom, and
back of your heart.
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