What do you call the lack of blood supply to a tissue?

The term for the lack of blood supply to a tissue is known as ischemia. Ischemia occurs when blood flow becomes restricted or obstructed to a particular tissue, leading to a deficiency of oxygen and nutrients necessary for cellular metabolism and function. This condition can arise due to various factors, such as vascular diseases, thrombosis, or compression of blood vessels.

Understanding ischemia is vital because it can have serious consequences if the lack of blood supply leads to tissue damage or death. Prolonged ischemia can result in infarction, which refers to the area of dead tissue due to prolonged lack of blood supply, hence distinguishing the two terms is important. Conditions like myocardial infarction (often referred to as a heart attack) result specifically from ischemia of the heart muscle. Myalgia, on the other hand, refers to muscle pain and does not pertain to blood supply issues.