US Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, died on Saturday evening from a tear in his artery, in accordance to preliminary findings from a medical examiner.
Aortic dissection is uncommon, and life-threatening typically, specialists say. The acute occasion occurs shortly however there are steps you’ll be able to take to decrease your danger.
The aorta is the biggest blood vessel in physique and the primary place blood travels by way of because it’s pumped from the center to different elements of the physique.
An aortic dissection happens when there’s a tear within the aorta, which disrupts the essential supply of blood stream.
Dr. Barbara Hamilton, an assistant professor of cardiac surgical procedure with a specialty in aortic surgical procedure on the University of Michigan, says the aorta is like an onion with many layers. A tear can occur on the interior layer of the aorta, which might create a “false passage” for blood, she mentioned — letting it journey between the layers of the blood vessel as an alternative of reaching vital organs.
A dissection can even tear by way of all layers of the aorta directly, which “basically is like your heart exploding,” mentioned Dr. John Trahanas, a cardiac surgeon and co-director of the Aortic Center at Vanderbilt.
An aortic dissection sometimes occurs immediately, usually with out warning.
“It’s not something that is slowly progressing over time,” Hamilton mentioned. “There isn’t this insidious, creeping, on-off chest pain that’s been lingering. When it hits, it’s usually a 10 out of 10 pain.”
It can appear a bit like a coronary heart assault or stroke, specialists say. Most usually, there’s chest ache that radiates to the again. It generally presents as leg ache or leg numbness, if the tear is stopping blood from touring all through the physique extra broadly.
About half of the individuals who have an aortic dissection will die earlier than they’re in a position to obtain any emergency care as a result of it’s such a sudden and extreme occasion.
But for others, receiving care shortly is essential.
Emergency surgical procedure to restore the artery wants to occur inside the first couple of hours, Trahanas mentioned. The overwhelming majority of people who find themselves in a position to have surgical procedure — about 80% — will survive, he mentioned. But the chance of dying will increase about 2% for each hour that surgical procedure is delayed.
Aortic dissection is uncommon, however it’s extra widespread amongst males and danger can enhance with age. It can also be triggered by a very hectic state of affairs amongst individuals who have hypertension at baseline. According to the medical examiner, Graham’s aortic dissection was “due to Arteriosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease.” Atherosclerosis — a situation the place fat and ldl cholesterol construct up on the artery partitions — can be a danger issue.
Hours earlier than his death, Graham had returned from Kyiv, considered one of many he visits he had made since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
“One might imagine that (Sen. Graham) had a stressful meeting in Ukraine,” Trahanas mentioned, noting that he doesn’t know the specifics of Graham’s case. If his blood strain was up, it might have triggered a tear, “which is a very, very sudden event that unfortunately can be fatal,” Trahanas mentioned.
Sometimes an aortic dissection is “bad luck,” he mentioned, however some individuals are predisposed due to a household historical past of aneurysm or connective tissue issues.
Still, there are loads of preventative steps that may be taken, specialists say.
Managing blood strain is essential. This may also help preserve the stress on the aorta to a minimal by limiting how a lot it has to stretch.
People who’re predisposed to sure danger elements can even get screened and meet often with an aortic specialist. Specialized aortic facilities “can provide multidisciplinary care, genetic testing, and have access to clinical trials that may not be available at other centers,” Trahanas mentioned.
Aortic dissection is “not a common diagnosis,” Hamilton mentioned — there are about three to 5 instances for each 100,000 folks every year.
“This isn’t something that the average person should be highly concerned with,” she mentioned. “But when it happens, the mortality rate is very high.”
It’s vital for folks to perceive their household historical past, know if they’ve any modifiable danger elements, listen to their blood strain, and search specialised care when acceptable.
“This just goes into the whole picture of staying on top of one’s health and understanding that there’s a lot of things out there that can get you,” she mentioned. “But if you’re able to take care of yourself and modify risk factors as you know about them, that can be helpful.”