Your Healthy Aorta The Aorta: Aortayour4facts The aorta is the main blood vessel 1) Know your diagnosis from the heart channelling blood to “Love the heart of Diseases of the aorta often result in all the organs of the body. It has 5 an aneurysm or swelling of the your Aorta” segments which include: a) the aorta. Aneurysms increase the risk aortic root, b) the ascending aorta, of tear, dissection of rupture c) the aortic arch, d) the descending depending on the size, following thoracic aorta and e) the abdominal which patients may need emergency aorta. Blood is pumped at 5 surgery. Planned surgery may be litres/min through this system at required to prevent an emergency rest, increasing up to 25 litres/min life threatening presentation. in exercise. Blood pressure may Commonest diseases underlying double during exercise and exceed aneurysms include: familial 300mmHg. As such the artery is predisposition, connective tissue exposed to the extremes of high your4 facts disorders (Marfan Syndrome, Ehlers Aorta blood flow, high blood pressure and Danlos Syndrome, Loeys-Dietz fluctuations in blood borne 1) Know your diagnosis Syndrome and Turners Syndrome), metabolites, toxins and infections. Bicuspid Aortic Valve Syndrome as 2) Know your numbers The aorta is therefore vulnerable to well as infection, inflammation and life threatening disease. It is trauma. Other factors such as 3) Know your choices important to know about your aorta diabetes hypercholesterolemia, and look after your aorta. 4) Know your treatment hypertension are important. Aortayour4 facts Aortayour4 facts Aortayour4 facts 2) Know your numbers 3) Know your choices 4) Know your treatments During your follow-up appointments Make the correct choices to help Medical drug treatments are very and scans there will be a range of keep your aorta healthy. Be important in protecting the numbers which become important proactive with the management of aneurysm and all patients should be to you and indicate when you might your blood pressure and visit your on a B-blocker if possible. Further need surgery. The commonest general practitioner. Stop smoking drugs may be required to control trigger for surgery on an aortic and make healthy dietary choices. blood pressure. In the event of you aneurysm is a diameter of 5.5cm. Check your cholerserol and get requiring intervention this will Factors that may reduce the treatment if required. Make sure either be surgical repair, a stent threshold (5.0cm) include Bicuspid that if you have diabetes, your within the vessel or a combination Aortic Valve, genetic predisposition glucose levels are controlled. While of both. Operations often take many or connective tissue disorder. The you need to stay active you should hours with hospital recovery over trigger may be lowered (4.0cm) if avoid doing things that raise your weeks. Recovery at home may take you require heart surgery on other blood pressure such as weight months. Your surgeons will discuss diseases such as valves or coronary lifting, moving heavy objects or the risks and benefits of different arteries. Other factors that may pushing your self to exhaustion. Day treatments with you in Clinic. lower the number include to day activities should not pose a Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm Service. Liverpool symptoms. risk to you. Exercise is important. Heart and Chest, www.lhch.nhs.uk .