Which heart condition leads to inadequate blood supply to the heart muscle?

Ischemic heart disease is a condition characterized by inadequate blood supply to the heart muscle, typically due to blockages or narrowing of the coronary arteries. This reduced blood flow can lead to angina (chest pain) or myocardial infarction (heart attack), where the heart muscle is deprived of oxygen and essential nutrients. This lack of blood supply ultimately compromises the function of the heart and can lead to severe complications if not properly managed.

In contrast, stenosis refers to the narrowing of heart valves, which can affect blood flow but does not inherently produce a lack of supply to the cardiac muscle itself. Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle that can affect its function but is not primarily about inadequate coronary blood flow. Endocarditis is an infection of the inner layer of the heart that can also lead to complications but is not focused on blood supply to the heart muscle. Each of these conditions has distinct mechanisms and implications for cardiac function, but ischemic heart disease explicitly addresses the issue of inadequate blood supply.