What is an Aortic Aneurysm?

By Aashirwad December, 14

An aortic aneurysm is a balloon-like bulge in the aorta – the large artery that carries blood from the heart to the chest.

They are usually caused by high blood pressure or sudden injury, or a history of high cholesterol or smoking.

Symptoms of an aortic aneurysm include: Sudden sharp pain the back or chest Shortness of breath Trouble breathing or swallowing Hoarsene Cough

Grant Wahl, the American soccer reporter who collapsed and died while covering the World Cup in Qatar last week...

[{"selector":"#anim-d853f3b7-0482-4932-a8ce-98327d509407 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(31.249999886225726%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}]

...died of an aortic aneurysm that ruptured, his wife, Dr. Celine Gounder, said Wednesday.

[{"selector":"#anim-2fea7305-0b77-4064-bde0-7233ff9c1ac3 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(29.595588136725837%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}]

Gounder said he died from a “slowly growing, undetected ascending aortic aneurysm with hemopericardium.

[{"selector":"#anim-95d92d92-de3d-4cfb-b826-a9ccb90af001 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-7.695312243296794%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}]

The chest pressure he experienced shortly before his death may have represented the initial symptoms.

[{"selector":"#anim-774cc1f4-761e-4d80-ba8a-bfd5c9cca53a [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

No amount of CPR or shocks would have saved him. His death was unrelated to COVID.

[{"selector":"#anim-83a493ed-1735-45e0-9296-6e86683c4565 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

His death was unrelated to vaccination status. There was nothing nefarious about his death,” Gounder wrote.

[{"selector":"#anim-7dd5a4aa-2062-4d32-b762-e74ff173e681 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-23.161764666448473%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}]

The CDC says aortic aneurysms or dissections caused about 10,000 deaths in 2019. About 59% of those deaths were among men.

[{"selector":"#anim-2887f936-6f84-497b-88c0-abfeffbf1dad [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-11.379825481207561%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}]