Cardiac blood flow (CBF)

Cardiac blood flow, also referred to as coronary blood flow or myocardial perfusion, is the physiological process of blood circulation through the coronary arteries to supply the myocardium with necessary oxygen and nutrients (Deranged Physiology, 2023). It is not a single molecular target such as a protein, enzyme, or receptor; rather, it represents a complex physiological outcome regulated by multiple molecular entities, including adenosine receptors (A2A and A2B), nitric oxide/cGMP signaling, and K-ATP channels (e-Century Publishing, 2025; PubMed Central, 2020). This process is vital for matching oxygen delivery to the extremely high metabolic demands of the heart, which has limited anaerobic capacity (Deranged Physiology, 2023). Local regulation of flow is finely tuned through electro-metabolic signaling between cardiomyocytes, capillary pericytes, and endothelial cells (Longden et al., 2023). In clinical medicine, impaired cardiac blood flow is the defining characteristic of coronary artery disease, microvascular dysfunction, and myocardial infarction (MDPI, 2023). Pharmacological agents such as organic nitrates, adenosine agonists, and calcium channel blockers are used to modulate this flow by inducing coronary vasodilation or by reducing the heart's metabolic workload (PubMed Central, 2020; StatPearls, 2023). Consequently, cardiac blood flow is an essential clinical endpoint and a primary physiological parameter for assessing cardiovascular health rather than a discrete molecular therapeutic target (MDPI, 2023).

Other names

Coronary blood flowMyocardial blood flowMyocardial perfusionCoronary circulation

Modulation of coronary vascular resistance through the relaxation of vascular smooth muscle cells (vasodilation) and the reduction of myocardial oxygen demand (MVO2) to improve the balance between oxygen supply and cardiac metabolic requirements.