What is ischemic heart disease? It's heart problems caused by narrowed heart arteries. When arteries are narrowed, less blood and oxygen reach the heart muscle. This is also called coronary artery disease and coronary heart disease. This can lead to heart attack. Ischemia often causes chest pain or discomfort known as angina pectoris.

Ischemic heart disease, also known as coronary artery disease, is the most common heart condition in the U.S. It is also the main cause of heart attack. The disease most often results from atherosclerosis, which is a buildup of fatty plaques inside the heart’s arteries. These deposits reduce blood flow and oxygen supply to the heart muscle.

Myocardial ischemia (or cardiac ischemia) means your heart muscle is not getting enough blood (which contains oxygen and nutrients) to work as it should. If this lack of blood from your coronary arteries is severe or goes on for more than a few minutes, it can damage your heart muscle. Then it becomes a myocardial infarction (heart attack).

Ischaemia or ischaemic/ischemic heart disease is a condition in which the heart is starved of oxygen due to a reduced blood supply. Most commonly, this is due to a build-up of plaque (fatty material plus cells) in the wall of one of the arteries supplying blood to the heart, known as the coronary arteries.

Ischemic heart disease may also be called cardiac ischemia or ischemic cardiomyopathy. As your heart weakens, it has to work harder to send blood to the rest of your body. This can increase your risk of blood clots, heart valve disease, heart failure, abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmia) and other problems.