What factors can increase the risk of developing aortic dissection?
What factors can increase the risk of developing aortic dissection?
Factors that can increase your risk for developing aortic dissection include:
- Ongoing high blood pressure (hypertension). This is the most important risk factor. High blood pressure causes direct damage to the layers of aortic tissue, causing loss of elastic fibers, breakdown of the wall structure and increased wall stiffness.
- Atherosclerosis (or buildup of plaque in the arteries)/high cholesterol and smoking.
- Aortic aneurysm. This is an abnormal enlargement or bulge in the aortic wall.
- Aortic valve disease.
- Congenital (“born with”) heart conditions like a bicuspid aortic valve (has two leaflets instead of the normal three) or Turner syndrome.
- Connective tissue disorders, such as Marfan syndrome and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. These are genetically linked problems that can be passed down to family members.
- Other hereditary thoracic aortic conditions that primarily affect the aorta that are also genetically caused.
- Family history of aortic dissection.
- Vasculitis, specifically aortitis. This inflammatory disease affects the body’s blood vessels.
- Traumatic injury to the chest (e.g., after a high-speed car crash or serious fall from a height of > 20 feet).
- Age between 50 and 65 years. The aortic wall loses its elasticity with age.
- Being pregnant and having high blood pressure during delivery.
- Activities that extend periods of high blood pressure, such as cocaine or amphetamine use.
- Strenuous powerlifting may increase the speed of development of aneurysms or dissection in susceptible people.