Type A Aortic Dissection is More Aggressive in Women

Acute type A aortic dissection is a highly morbid condition, with high mortality approaching about 40 percent. The authors of this article report that women tend to present with more atypical symptoms and have earlier deterioration compared to men, including neurological dysfunction and more aortic rupture events before surgical intervention. They also present later in life than men. Long term mortality between genders appears to be similar. Overall, it is important to realize these different disease progression patterns amongst genders given its high clinical relevance.