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<\/a><\/a>\nAn aortic dissection is a tear in the wall of the body\u2019s main artery. An estimated 20% of people who suffer an aortic dissection have a first-degree relative who has also experienced an aortic aneurysm or dissection. High blood pressure, atherosclerosis, smoking, and prior cardiac surgery all raise the risk \u2014 so do a number of genetic conditions, which is why an understanding of family history is so important.<\/p>
\nAortic dissection itself can strike suddenly, but the risk does not have to be a surprise: family history, genetic testing, and imaging such as echocardiograms, computed tomography (CT) scans, or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans can flag at-risk relatives long before an emergency, allowing doctors to monitor and treat the aorta preventatively, avoiding dissection completely.<\/p>
\n\u201cThe goal of my research is to identify the genetic risks so we can find at-risk family members before they ever have an emergency, not after,\u201d said Dr. Dianna Milewicz<\/b>, a leading aortic disease geneticist at UTHealth Houston who directs the John Ritter Research Program in Aortic and Vascular Diseases. \u201cA parent, sibling, or child with a diagnosed aortic dissection or an unexplained sudden death or early heart problem is a signal for the whole family to be screened.\u201d<\/p>
\n\u201cWhen a dissection happens, it\u2019s an emergency,\u201d said Dr. Eric Roselli<\/b>, Chief of Adult Cardiac Surgery at Cleveland Clinic. \u201cAs physicians we have a responsibility to trace it through the whole family. The next dissection is caught during screening, not in an emergency room.\u201d<\/p>
\nThe urgency is real: an estimated 40% of people who experience an aortic dissection do not survive to reach the hospital. Of those who do, up to 80% can be saved with timely surgery, a gap that early detection and awareness can close.<\/p>
\nThe Foundation urges anyone with a family history of aortic aneurysm, aortic dissection, or unexplained sudden cardiac death to talk to their doctor about screening and genetic testing, and to share that history with first-degree relatives. Resources: johnritterfoundation.org<\/a>.<\/p> \nJohn Ritter Foundation Press Conference<\/b><\/p> \nThe John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health will host a press conference featuring Dr. Dianna Milewicz, Dr. Eric Roselli, and aortic dissection survivor and CEO of the John Ritter Foundation, Meredith Ford O\u2019Neal, on Friday, July 17 at 11:00 a.m. ET \/ 8:00 a.m. PT. Please register here: https:\/\/us06web.zoom.us\/webinar\/register\/WN_zOfm5rnfSYCU0qHRb6wZkQ<\/a><\/p> \nA recording will be made available.<\/p> \nAbout the John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health<\/b><\/p> \nThe John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health is a national nonprofit dedicated to lowering the incidence of acute aortic dissection through education, family screening, awareness, and research funding. Learn more at johnritterfoundation.org<\/a>.<\/p>