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Medical Conditions Predisposing to Aortic Dissection and Preventive Strategies

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Aortic Dissection and Acute Aortic Syndromes

Abstract

Acute aortic dissection (AAD)—characterized by the presence of an intimal flap separating the true and false lumen—represents a life-treating medical condition affecting the aorta wall interesting predominantly the media layer. Most frequently it affects men (~65%), in the sixth decade of life (mean age 63 years). Overall incidence ranges from approximately 2.6 and 3.5 cases per 100,000 person-years (6000–10,000 cases annually in the USA. AAD may be caused by a wide spectrum of congenital or acquired diseases, either acute or chronic, variably leading to increased aortic wall stress (e.g. systemic arterial hypertension, cocaine, physical trauma, etc.). and/or aortic media abnormalities (e.g. syndromic and non-syndromic genetic diseases, inflammatory vasculitis, atherosclerosis, etc.). However, despite recent diagnostic and therapeutic advances, aortic disease burden is still high. Thus there is an urgent need to design and implement preventive strategies at individual and population levels targeting cardiovascular risk factors. In this context it is “conditio sine qua non” promoting health life style along with screening programs for early detection of systemic arterial hypertension and abdominal aneurysms. Consistent patients long term follow-up after acute index event represents an evident gap to be filled.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Dr. Brigida Ranieri and to Chiara Sepe for data management and technical support.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Cardiac Rehabilitation - Echo Lab, Department of Internal Medicine, A. Cardarelli Hospital, Naples, Italy

    Eduardo Bossone

  2. Department of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, Federico II University of Naples, Naples, Italy

    Valentina Russo

  3. IRCCS SDN, Naples, Italy

    Andrea Salzano

  4. University of Michigan Frankel Cardiovascular Center, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Kim Eagle

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  1. Eduardo Bossone
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  2. Valentina Russo
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  3. Andrea Salzano
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  4. Kim Eagle
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Eduardo Bossone .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Rhode Island Hospital, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA

    Frank W. Sellke

  2. Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, USA

    Joseph S. Coselli

  3. Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Thoralf M. Sundt

  4. Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Joseph E. Bavaria

  5. Thoracic Cardiothoracic Surgery, Rhode Island Hospital and Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA

    Neel R. Sodha

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Bossone, E., Russo, V., Salzano, A., Eagle, K. (2021). Medical Conditions Predisposing to Aortic Dissection and Preventive Strategies. In: Sellke, F.W., Coselli, J.S., Sundt, T.M., Bavaria, J.E., Sodha, N.R. (eds) Aortic Dissection and Acute Aortic Syndromes. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66668-2_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66668-2_7

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-66668-2

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