Ischemic heart disease is MOST accurately defined as:

• A. Decreased blood flow to one or more portions of the myocardium.
• B. Increased blood flow to the myocardium during rest.
• C. Dilation of all chambers of the heart.
• D. Decreased venous return to the right atrium.

Answer: (A)

Ischemic heart disease is defined by an insufficient blood supply to the heart muscle, meaning the coronary arteries do not deliver enough oxygenated blood to meet the heart’s needs. This usually happens because of narrowed or blocked coronary arteries from atherosclerosis, so parts of the myocardium become starved for oxygen, especially during increased activity or stress. That mismatch between oxygen supply and demand is what drives ischemia, angina, and potential heart muscle damage.

That’s why the correct description is decreased blood flow to portions of the myocardium. The other ideas don’t fit: increasing blood flow at rest would improve oxygen delivery rather than cause ischemia; dilation of all heart chambers describes a structural change, not a problem with coronary blood supply; and decreased venous return to the right atrium affects preload, not myocardial blood flow.