Aortic Dissection Awareness Day 2023: Date, History, Facts about Cardiovascular System

Dissection of the Aorta Every year, Awareness Day is observed on September 19. The purpose of this day is to bring attention to aortic dissection, a relatively unknown but potentially fatal disorder. Multiple organisations around the world offer a variety of resources to assist patients, their families, medical professionals, and the general public better understand the condition. Aortic dissection is a condition in which the inner layer of the primary artery of the body (the aorta) tears. Blood rushing from the aorta through the tear causes the inner and intermediate layers of the artery to separate. If the individual’s blood leaks through the aorta’s outermost layer, the dissection is typically fatal.

The background of Aortic Dissection Awareness Day

Aortic dissection is a condition in which the inner layer of the primary artery of the body (the aorta) tears. Blood rushing from the aorta through the tear causes the inner and intermediate layers of the artery to separate. If the patient’s blood travels through the aorta’s outermost layer, the dissection is typically fatal. The condition is uncommon in general. It typically affects men in their ’60s and ’70s.

Due to the similarity between the symptoms of aortic dissection and those of several other cardiac conditions, the problem is frequently misdiagnosed. When the aortic dissection is detected and subsequently treated in time, the patient’s chance of survival increases manyfold. Aortic dissection is characterised by abrupt and severe chest or upper back pain, sudden and severe stomach pain, loss of consciousness, shortness of breath, leg pain, a weak pulse in one arm or thigh, and difficulty walking. The condition is brought on by a compromised aortic wall.

They are divided into two categories based on the affected region. Type A aortic dissection is more prevalent and dangerous than type B because it entails a tear in the portion of the aorta that exits the heart; in this case, the tear may occur in the upper aorta, which can extend to the abdomen. Type B is characterised by a rupture in the lower aorta, which may extend to the abdomen.

Frank Nicholls, who penned an autopsy report for King George II of Great Britain in 1760, is credited with the earliest complete documentation of aortic dissection. The expression ‘aortic dissection’ was coined by French physician J.P. Manoir in 1802. DeBakey, Cooley, and Creech first developed surgery for aortic dissection in 1954. In 2005, DeBakey developed the condition and underwent surgery in 2006.

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5 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM

The typical adult heart is the size of a fist.

Approximately 115,000 heartbeats occur daily.

Daily, the heart pumps approximately 2,000 litres of blood.

In 1958, the first implantable pacemaker was developed.

Whales are the mammals with the greatest hearts.

AORTIC DISSECTION AWARENESS DAY DATES

Year	Date	Day
2023	September 19	Tuesday
2024	September 19	Thursday
2025	September 19	Friday
2026	September 19	Saturday
2027	September 19	Sunday