Ischemic Heart Disease – What is it?

Ischemic heart disease seems like a mouthful, but if you break down the words, it makes sense. The definition of  ischemia is temporary lack of blood supply and oxygen to a body part due to obstruction. When it is the heart that is not getting adequate blood and oxygen supply, it is called ischemic heart disease.

The reason that the heart does not get enough oxygen is because the heart (coronary) arteries that provide the heart with oxygen and blood have become narrowed.  They have typically become narrowed by atherosclerosis (fatty build-up in the arteries).  This is what is known as coronary artery disease.

As a result of not getting enough oxygen to the heart, the symptoms of angina can occur.  Angina is not heart attack, as it only involves a temporary reduction in oxygen to the heart.  However, it is a warning signal that you could have a heart attack in the future.

Complicating matters more, many people have heart ischemia, and are not even aware of it.  This is known as silent ischemia.  As a result, people can have a heart attack without ever having had previous signs of ischemia or angina.  Even those who have angina or have had heart attacks before may also suffer with silent ischemia.

If your physician suspects that you may have silent ischemia, he/she may get you to undergo a stress test or have you wear a portable EKG that monitors your heart.

So, as you can see, ischemic heart disease simply means heart disease that results due to the heart muscle not getting enough blood (and hence oxygen) supply.  This is usually due to narrowed heart (coronary arteries) that provide the heart with its own oxygen and blood supply.

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