Aortitis: A Rare Cardiovascular Disease More Common in Women

The condition can cause a variety of problems with the aorta, but many women go undiagnosed until surgery is required.

Published: January 5, 2016

You've probably heard about coronary artery disease, but what about aortitis? Aortitis causes aneurysms in the aorta and disproportionately affects women. It is usually diagnosed as Takayasu disease in women under 40, and in older women it results from giant cell arteritis. Aortitis is linked to arthritis and has autoimmune components, but unlike arthritis it can be viral and bacteria-based.