🧬❤️ WHEN AORTIC DISEASE IS IN YOUR DNA Why do some people develop an aortic aneurysm or experience an aortic dissection—sometimes at a younger age and without the typical risk factors? For some patients, part of the answer may be genetics. Our genes help determine how the tissues that make up the aortic wall are built, maintained, and repaired. Certain genetic changes can affect the strength and function of that wall, increasing the risk of thoracic aortic aneurysm and disse