Coronary blood flow regulation in health and disease

The coronary bed is unique amongst the regional circulations for two reasons: it lies in a continuously contracting muscle bed, and it extracts more oxygen from each 100 ml. of perfusing blood than any other major organ. The small oxygen reserve, even in the resting state when ventricular rate is low, indicates that any increase in myocardial oxygen demand must be met by an increase in coronary blood flow ( CBF). A premium is therefore placed on the integrity of the coronary vascular bed