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Heart Attack Care

Halifax Health is the first and only hospital in Central Florida with a Joint Commission Gold Seal of Approval for Heart Attack care.

Heart Attack

A heart attack occurs when blood flow to the heart is interrupted. This deprives the heart muscle of oxygen, causing tissue damage or tissue death. Other names for heart attack include coronary attack, myocardial infarction, coronary thrombosis, and coronary occlusion. 

Heart attack is an outcome of coronary artery disease (CAD) , also called coronary heart disease. If too much plaque (fatty material) builds up in the coronary arteries, it can decrease the blood flow to the heart. If the plaque tears, a blood clot will form that may close off or severely narrow the artery. A heart attack occurs when the clot blocks the flow of blood to the heart. Cells in the heart start to die if they are without oxygen-rich blood for more than a few minutes. Heart attack also can occur if an artery that supplies the heart starts to spasm or contract. The spasm decreases or can stop blood flow. A heart attack can result from a severe spasm.

Learn More About Heart Attack

More than 16 million people in the United States have coronary heart disease, and every year about 8,100,000 Americans suffer a heart attack.

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