silent ischemia [L, silere, to be silent] , an asymptomatic form of myocardial ischemia that may damage the heart muscle. Ischemia is most likely to occur during the first 6 hours after a person awakens in the morning. It is triggered by mental arousal in more than 75% of patients. In contrast, cardiac ischemia accompanied by anginal pains is usually triggered by physical exertion.
