Trying to detect Acute Type A aortic dissection (AAD) before it’s too late

Exploring the interplay between biochemical and biomechanical heterogeneity as a risk factor for acute Type A aortic dissection

The aorta is the major artery of the human circulation. It has to withstand very high pressures to distribute blood from the heart all around the body. Acute Type A aortic dissection (AAD) is an uncommon but very serious condition in which the aorta wall tears. The effects are frequently fatal, causing death in otherwise healthy and often middle-aged people. The biological processes in the aorta that lead to AAD are not well understood, and the only indicator of risk that doctors can use is the presence of an aortic aneurysm (bulge). But AAD may occur even when the aorta looks normal, so a better way to detect it is urgently needed. Dr Riaz Akhtar and colleagues will study aortic tissue from people with AAD and analyse their structure and evaluate their stiffness and elasticity. They will compare these findings to tissue from people who do not have the condition. They will look for extremely fine changes in the tissue stiffness and composition to try to find new clues into the process of AAD. This research has the potential to lead to new methods for early detection of AAD risk.