Which artery primarily supplies the right side of the heart?

• A. Right Coronary Artery
• B. Left Coronary Artery
• C. Circumflex Artery
• D. Left Subclavian Artery

Answer: (A)

Understanding coronary circulation helps explain why the right coronary artery is the main supplier of the right heart. The heart’s muscle gets its blood from the coronary arteries that run in grooves on the heart’s surface. The right coronary artery travels along the right atrioventricular groove and sends branches to the right atrium and right ventricle, supporting the chambers on the right side. In most people, it also gives rise to the posterior descending artery, which helps feed the inferior portion of the heart, illustrating how this one artery predominantly serves the right heart and portions of the inferior left heart as well. In contrast, the left coronary artery and its branches—the left anterior descending and the circumflex—primarily nourish the left atrium and left ventricle, including the lateral and anterior walls. The left subclavian artery isn’t a coronary artery; it supplies the left upper limb and some nearby structures. So, the artery that primarily supplies the right side of the heart is the right coronary artery.