How deadly is aortic dissection?

The death of longtime South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham sent shockwaves through Washington, DC and beyond. He had just returned from a trip overseas to meet with the Ukrainian President. When a call was made from his DC residence reporting a male with chest pain, emergency services was dispatched right away.

Senator Graham’s cause of death was aortic dissection, caused by arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, sometimes called atherosclerosis, the buildup of fats and cholesterol in the artery walls. Senator Graham’s father had also died of a heart attack when the senator was still a young man.

With Senator Graham’s death, aortic dissection is in the news, leading to curiosity and questions around how common it is and whether or not an aortic dissection is always fatal. We spoke with interventional cardiologist Chetan Patel, MD, to get the facts on aortic dissection and help you understand how it develops, what symptoms to watch for and more.