Many people are familiar with coronary artery disease as the process leading to heart attack. Fewer may be familiar with a less common, but potentially more dangerous, form of arterial disease affecting the aorta, the largest blood vessel in the body. The pressure of blood pumping through the aorta can cause any weakness in the vessel wall to balloon out, forming an aneurysm. When an aneurysm bursts, (ruptures) or the vessel wall splits (dissects), the result is catastrophic bleeding or instant death.
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