The chest pain a client experiences during an anginal attack is primarily caused by which of the following?

The chest pain experienced during an anginal attack is primarily caused by decreased oxygen supply to the heart. Angina is typically a result of myocardial ischemia, which occurs when the heart muscle does not receive enough oxygen-rich blood to meet its demands. This condition can be exacerbated by factors such as narrowed coronary arteries, which limit blood flow, or increased physical or emotional stress, which raises the heart's oxygen requirements.

When the oxygen supply diminishes due to reduced blood flow, the heart muscles begin to suffer from a lack of oxygen, leading to the characteristic chest pain associated with angina. Thus, understanding the relationship between oxygen supply and demand in the heart is crucial for managing angina effectively and addressing the underlying causes of decreased oxygen delivery.