It's Think Aorta Thursday

🎉Today is THINK AORTA Thursday!

It's important to "𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗔𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮" and raise awareness about aortic disease because this condition is often 𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝘀𝘂𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝘆— but with education, early detection, and appropriate treatment, 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗱.

Two simple words that can save so many!

Here’s why it matters:

🔴 1. 𝗔𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲-𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴

-The aorta is the 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘆 that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body.

-Aortic diseases like 𝗮𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿𝘆𝘀𝗺, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 can cause the aorta to rupture or tear.

-Aortic dissection, for example, is a 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 that requires immediate recognition and intervention to prevent death.

🕐 2. 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴

-Symptoms can mimic a 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸, stroke, or other conditions, leading to 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗻𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘆𝘀.

-Every minute matters — the 𝘀𝗼𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱, the faster life-saving action can be taken.

🧬 3. 𝗜𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗕𝗲 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗰

-Many aortic conditions are 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 (e.g., Marfan syndrome, Loeys-Dietz syndrome, familial thoracic aortic aneurysm).

-If one person is diagnosed, 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴, making awareness critical for𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁.

🩺 4. 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗗𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗮𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀

-Imaging tests like 𝗖𝗧 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗻𝘀, 𝗠𝗥𝗜𝘀, 𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝘀 can spot aortic disease 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 a major event happens.

-Routine monitoring and 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘆, when necessary, can prevent rupture or dissection.

🧠 5. 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀

-To "Think Aorta" means training both 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘀 and the 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 to recognize symptoms and risk factors.

-More awareness leads to𝗳𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗻𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘀, 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁, and ultimately, 𝗳𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗻𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘀, 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁,

💙 6. 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿

-Many patients feel alone or misunderstood due to the rarity and complexity of aortic disease.

-Raising awareness helps build 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴, leading to better care and outcomes.

Bottom Line:

💡 “𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗔𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮” 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮 𝘀𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗮𝗻 — 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. Whether you're a doctor, patient, or family member, understanding and recognizing aortic disease can literally mean the difference between life and death.