A heart attack occurs when most or all of the blood flowing to some of the heart muscle is blocked off. The blood carries oxygen to the heart muscle, so the blockage may damage the heart muscle.

Most heart attacks occur as a result of a blood clot in a coronary artery, which cuts off blood flow. Another less common cause of heart attack is a spasm of a coronary artery that cuts off blood flow through the artery. These spasms are sometimes related to emotional stress, extreme cold, cigarette smoking, or certain drugs, like cocaine.

Below you will see how often HHC is following best practice standards of heart attack care. See hospital-specific data for more information about these best practices.