Aortic Dissection Awareness Day

Why is aortic dissection awareness day important?

Aortic dissection is the most common aortic emergency with 70 people per week suffering from the condition in the UK and Ireland. Type A dissection has a 2% mortality per hour within the first 24 hours and acute type B dissection carries a mortality rate of up to 10% over 30 days. Over 2,000 patients lose their lives to aortic dissection each year in the UK and Ireland. More needs to be done to raise awareness and elevate the profile of this preventable condition. Learn more about aortic dissection.

Why the snow leopard represents aortic disease

The snow leopard mostly lives a solitary life and is typically active during the early hours of the morning, making them very hard to find. These beautiful cats are unable to roar like their larger cousins due to their unique physiology. For this reason, they are often named, The Silent Killer, which aortic dissection is also referred to.

Since 1986, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) designated snow leopards as endangered and they have long been considered a rare species. Like this majestic creature, aortic dissection is considered rare.

However, after years of campaigning, awareness, and education, 2016 was a landmark year for the snow leopard. It was the year when the IUCN reclassified them as “vulnerable”, meaning the risk of extinction is less urgent. This should give us all hope.

It demonstrates that, with targeted education, research, and policy change, we, too, can change the tide on aortic dissection and potentially make it less of the time-critical, silent killer it is today. With greater understanding, research, and resources, we can hopefully reduce misdiagnoses, lessen its impact on patients, and prevent others from suffering from this condition.

The power of persistent awareness should never be underestimated.

Notable people who have been impacted by aortic dissection

The first recorded case of aortic dissection was in the autopsy of King George II in 1760. Michael DeBakey, a cardiovascular surgeon at Texas Medical Centre who pioneered the surgical treatment and classification for aortic dissection, suffered from the condition in his later years. At the age of 98, he was the oldest patient to undergo the procedure, which allowed him to live a further two years.

Others include American actors John Ritter, Lucille Ball, Alan Thicke, playwright Jonathan Larson, diplomat Richard Holbrooke, Japanese actor Hiromi Tsuru, manga artist Kentaro Miura, and Depeche Mode’s keyboardist Andy Fletcher, all of whom died suddenly and unacceptably from aortic dissections.

But there have also been some notable survivors of this condition. While this is by no means an exhaustive list, some include New Zealand cricketer Chris Cairns, Judas Priest’s guitarist Richie Faulkner, BBC radio presenter Bob Harris, and former English footballer Steve Perryman.

Why you should participate in Aortic Dissection Awareness Day

Aortic Dissection Awareness Day is an ideal time to increase public awareness of this poorly acknowledged healthcare disaster and to show solidarity and support for the thousands of patients and their loved ones who have endured the long-term physical and mental consequences of this disease.

It is a great opportunity to remind the public, media, national healthcare authorities and providers, as well as healthcare professionals, policymakers, and the government that there is an urgent need to improve the education, diagnosis, and long-term care of those with, and at risk of, aortic dissection.