What is the term for a condition when the heart cannot meet the demands of the body?

The condition where the heart cannot meet the demands of the body is known as congestive heart failure. This occurs when the heart is unable to pump effectively, which can result from a variety of issues such as weakened heart muscles or increased workload. As a result, the body may not receive an adequate supply of oxygenated blood to fulfill its needs, leading to symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, and fluid retention.

Congestive heart failure can be chronic, meaning it develops over time, or it can be acute, arising suddenly. The heart's inability to function efficiently is often associated with a range of underlying issues, including hypertension, coronary artery disease, and previous heart attacks.

While the other terms in the choices relate to heart conditions, they describe different scenarios: arrhythmia refers to irregular heart rhythms, myocardial infarction denotes a heart attack caused typically by blocked blood flow, and cardiomyopathy is a disease of the heart muscle itself. These conditions can lead to or contribute to congestive heart failure, but they do not directly define a state where the heart fails to meet the body’s demands as congestive heart failure does.