What is the medical term for an inadequate supply of blood to a part of the body?

The correct term for an inadequate supply of blood to a part of the body is ischemia. Ischemia occurs when blood flow is restricted or reduced, leading to a deficiency of oxygen and nutrients that are necessary for cellular metabolism and function. This can result from various factors, including blockage in blood vessels, which can ultimately lead to tissue damage if the blood supply is not restored in a timely manner.

In contrast, hypoxia refers specifically to a deficiency in oxygen at the tissue level, regardless of the adequacy of blood flow, so while it is related to inadequate oxygen supply, it doesn’t encompass other aspects of blood supply. Necrosis describes the death of cells or tissues in a living organism, often resulting from a lack of blood supply (ischemia) but is not the term for insufficient blood flow itself. Infarction refers to the area of dead tissue that results from ischemia, specifically when it leads to tissue death. Therefore, ischemia is the best answer to indicate the condition of reduced blood flow.