pathophysiology

Last reviewed 01/2018

Myocardial ischaemia is more likely to affect the left ventricle than the right ventricle, because:

  • the coronary blood supply of the left ventricle is confined to diastole. This is because of the high intramural pressure that occurs in systole that prevents a blood supply.
  • the stroke work that is required by the left ventricle is greater than that of the right ventricle. The systemic arterial resistance is 8x that of the pulmonary resistance.