September is an important month for the aortic dissection community. Throughout the month, patients, families, healthcare professionals and supporters will be helping to raise awareness of aortic dissection, with Aortic Dissection Awareness Day on 19th September providing a particular focus for activity across the UK, Ireland and internationally.
To mark the start, the Aortic Dissection Charitable Trust is releasing a new episode of the Aortic Dissection Podcast. Hosted by former BBC News presenter Roy Sheppard, the episode brings together people with lived experience and clinical expertise to explore an important question: do assumptions about who is most likely to experience an aortic dissection create demographic blind spots?
Demographic Blind Spots
The new episode features aortic dissection survivors Charlotte Burrows and Barbara Emmanuel, alongside aortic surgeon Graham Cooper and Professor Julie Sanders, Professor of Cardiovascular Care at King’s College London.
Barbara and Charlotte share very different experiences of aortic dissection. Their stories challenge the perception that the condition predominantly affects older white men. Barbara discusses her experience as an Afro-Caribbean woman and how her symptoms presented in her throat. Charlotte was just 40, fit and regularly running half marathons when she experienced her aortic dissection.
Their experiences lead into a wider discussion about how age, sex and ethnicity can influence our understanding of aortic dissection. The panel considers how symptoms may differ, how assumptions can affect recognition and diagnosis, and why some groups remain under-represented in research.
Professor Sanders discusses the under-representation of women in aortic dissection research and the need for better evidence to understand differences in presentation, diagnosis, outcomes and quality of life. Graham Cooper also highlights that aortic dissection can affect people much younger than many might expect.
Ethnicity is another important part of the conversation. The panel discusses existing evidence around age of onset in different ethnic groups, alongside the role of high blood pressure. Barbara reflects on her own experience of living with high blood pressure and the lessons she has learnt about managing it.
The conversation also looks beyond diagnosis. Charlotte and Barbara discuss exercise and returning to everyday life. The panel considers the role of families and carers, cardiac rehabilitation and consistent information and support after patients leave hospital.
The full series is available on major platforms, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.
Continuing the Aortic Dissection Podcast Series
The new episode builds on the charity’s existing podcast series, launched for Aortic Dissection Awareness Day in September 2025. The series was created to provide patients, families and healthcare professionals with accessible information alongside the experiences of people who have lived through an aortic dissection.
During each episode, the conversations explore the realities of aortic dissection from different perspectives, helping listeners understand not only the medical aspects of the condition but also recovery, emotional wellbeing and life after a dissection.
Raising Awareness this September
Aortic Dissection awareness provides an opportunity to improve understanding of a condition that remains unfamiliar to many people. Aortic Dissection Awareness Day on 19th September brings patients, families, healthcare professionals and organisations together around that shared purpose.
The podcast is part of the charity’s wider work to improve awareness, education and support. By bringing together lived experience, clinical expertise, and research, the series helps people affected by aortic dissection access information relevant to different stages of their journey.
This September, we encourage patients, families and healthcare professionals to watch and share the podcasts. Every conversation can help broaden understanding of aortic dissection, challenge assumptions about who can be affected and ensure more people know where to find trusted information and support.
Find More Support Online
If you found these podcasts helpful, we offer a wider range of free, trusted resources to support you. Created by patients and clinicians together, our online hub covers everything from diagnosis to long-term care, with clear explanations and expert advice tailored for you and your family.
