Ischemia is the medical term for an inadequate blood supply to a specific area of the body. This results in a reduced oxygen supply as blood has difficulty in reaching the target tissues or organs. Ischemia can be partial or complete. Partial ischemia may cause hypoxia, which is too little oxygen reaching the area. Complete ischemia results in anoxia, where no oxygen reaches the target area, and if this is not corrected quickly, it will eventually lead to an infarct.
Example : Coronary artery disease results in narrowing of the blood vessels that supply oxygen and nutrients to the heart muscle. Less oxygen is able to reach the heart muscle resulting in ischemia which is sometimes experienced as chest pain, known as angina.
