More people are getting aortic dissection. Here’s what to know about the deadly heart emergency
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Homemaker Sariah Mansoor, who survived an aortic dissection, with senior consultant Vitaly A. Sorokin at the National University Heart Centre, Singapore.
ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG
- Aortic dissection is a deadly heart emergency causing many deaths yearly, with cases rising and more younger patients affected, especially men aged 40 and above in Singapore.
- NUHCS has doubled surgeries for aortic dissection and started a screening programme targeting high-risk groups, aiming to detect the condition earlier and reduce fatalities.
- Symptoms include severe chest pain and dizziness; timely treatment is crucial, as shown by patient Sariah's survival after emergency surgery and ongoing rehabilitation.
AI generated
SINGAPORE – Taiwanese singer Alien Huang died of it at the age of 36 in 2020, while American senator Lindsey Graham was 71 when he died of the same condition in July 2026.
They both experienced an aortic dissection, a catastrophic tear in the inner wall of the aorta, the main artery that carries blood from the heart to other parts of the body.