Distal ascending aortic dilatation portends a near 2-fold greater risk of cardiovascular mortality than proximal enlargement: results from 120,000 patients in a nationwide echocardiographic database

Abstract

Abstract Background The management of thoracic aortic dilatation is clinically challenging and acute aortic dissection (AD) is under-recognised as a primary cause of death. Despite the majority of AD occurring in non-severely dilated aortas, absolute aortic diameter remains the most utilised criterion for adjudging preventative surgical correction. In order to improve outcomes and guide management, greater prognostic understanding is needed. Purpose We examined a nationwide echocardiographic dataset linked to mortality outcomes to determine how ascending thoracic aortic dil..