Surreal illustration of a dam breaking into an aortic blood vessel symbolizing aortic rupture.

Decoding Aortic Aneurysms: Your Guide to Symptoms, Risks, and Treatment

Soraya Malik in Health & Wellness December 2025 • 4 min read.

"Understanding Acute Aortic Syndrome (AAS) in Korean Patients and Beyond: A Comprehensive Overview"

Acute Aortic Syndrome (AAS) is a critical condition involving a group of life-threatening diseases affecting the thoracic aorta. These conditions, which include aortic dissection (AD), intramural hematoma (IMH), dissecting aneurysm, and penetrating aortic ulcer (PAU), often manifest with sudden, severe chest or back pain, making prompt diagnosis and treatment essential. Given the severity and potential for rapid deterioration, understanding AAS is vital for both healthcare professionals and individuals at risk.

While AAS has been studied in various populations, comprehensive data on its presentation, management, and outcomes in Korean patients has been limited. To address this gap, a multi-center registry was established in Korea to examine the clinical characteristics, treatment patterns, and long-term results in individuals diagnosed with AAS. This initiative provides valuable insights into how AAS manifests and is managed in a specific ethnic group, offering lessons that can potentially improve care worldwide.

This article delves into the findings of the Korean multi-center registry, offering a detailed overview of AAS, its risk factors, diagnostic approaches, treatment modalities, and outcomes. By exploring this research, we aim to empower readers with a deeper understanding of aortic aneurysms and the importance of proactive management and timely intervention.

What are the Key Characteristics and Risk Factors of AAS?

Surreal illustration of a dam breaking into an aortic blood vessel symbolizing aortic rupture.

The Korean registry included 528 patients diagnosed with AAS across ten centers, providing a substantial dataset for analysis. The study revealed that the average age of patients was 60.1 years, with a nearly balanced gender distribution (297 males and 231 females).

Several risk factors were identified as prevalent among the AAS patients:

Hypertension: A significant majority of patients (68.4%) had a history of hypertension, underscoring its role as a major risk factor.
Diabetes: A smaller but notable proportion (11.1%) had diabetes.
Smoking: A considerable number of patients were current smokers (57.5%), with an average smoking history of 26.8 pack-years, further highlighting lifestyle factors influencing AAS risk.
Family History: A family history of AAS was present in 8.3% of patients.

The study also categorized the types of AAS observed: acute AD (84.5%), IMH (10.7%), and PAU (2.1%). Regarding the location, the registry found that 45.6% of patients had Stanford type A AAS (involving the ascending aorta), while 54.4% had Stanford type B AAS (involving the descending aorta).

Future Directions in AAS Research and Treatment

The Korean multi-center registry provides a valuable foundation for understanding AAS in a specific population, its findings have broader implications for global cardiovascular health. As research continues to evolve, future studies should focus on prospective data collection, larger sample sizes, and diverse populations to validate and expand upon these findings.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.4070/kcj.2012.42.8.528, Alternate LINK

Title: Clinical Characteristics Of Acute Aortic Syndrome In Korean Patients: From The Korean Multi-Center Registry Of Acute Aortic Syndrome

Subject: Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine

Journal: Korean Circulation Journal

Publisher: The Korean Society of Cardiology

Authors: Jung Rae Cho, Sanghoon Shin, Jung-Sun Kim, Young-Guk Ko, Myeong-Ki Hong, Yangsoo Jang, Ki Bae Seung, Hun Sik Park, Seung-Jea Tahk, Do-Sun Lim, Dong-Wun Jeon, In Ho Chae, Duk-Kyung Kim, Junghan Yoon, Myung Ho Jeong, Donghoon Choi

Published: 2012-01-01

Everything You Need To Know

What is Acute Aortic Syndrome (AAS), and what are its different types?

Acute Aortic Syndrome (AAS) is a group of life-threatening diseases affecting the thoracic aorta. The main types of AAS include aortic dissection (AD), intramural hematoma (IMH), dissecting aneurysm, and penetrating aortic ulcer (PAU). These conditions require prompt diagnosis and treatment due to the risk of rapid deterioration. The article highlights a multi-center registry that categorized the AAS types in Korean patients, with AD being the most prevalent (84.5%), followed by IMH (10.7%), and PAU (2.1%). Understanding these different types of AAS is critical for effective medical intervention.

What role does hypertension play in the development of Acute Aortic Syndrome (AAS)?

Hypertension is a significant risk factor for developing Acute Aortic Syndrome (AAS). The Korean multi-center registry showed that a significant majority of patients (68.4%) had a history of hypertension. This high prevalence underscores the critical importance of managing hypertension to reduce the risk of AAS. Uncontrolled hypertension can weaken the aorta's walls, making them more susceptible to the conditions that define AAS, such as aortic dissection. Effectively controlling hypertension is a key preventive measure.

Besides hypertension, what other risk factors were identified in the Korean registry of patients with AAS?

In addition to hypertension, the Korean multi-center registry identified several other key risk factors associated with AAS. These include diabetes (11.1% of patients), smoking (57.5% of patients), and a family history of AAS (8.3% of patients). The study also noted that smokers had an average smoking history of 26.8 pack-years, further illustrating the impact of lifestyle factors on AAS risk. These risk factors contribute to the weakening of the aorta, increasing the likelihood of developing conditions within the AAS spectrum.

How did the Korean registry categorize the location of Acute Aortic Syndrome (AAS) among the study participants?

The Korean multi-center registry categorized the location of AAS based on the Stanford classification system. The study found that 45.6% of patients had Stanford type A AAS, which involves the ascending aorta, while 54.4% had Stanford type B AAS, which involves the descending aorta. This distinction is critical because the location of the AAS affects the treatment approach and the potential complications. Stanford type A AAS often requires immediate surgical intervention, while Stanford type B AAS may be managed medically or with endovascular procedures, depending on the specific presentation and severity.

What are the implications of this registry on a global scale, and what directions should future research take?

The Korean multi-center registry provides valuable insights into AAS within a specific ethnic group and has broader implications for global cardiovascular health. The findings offer lessons that could improve care worldwide. Future research should focus on several areas. Prospective data collection, which involves gathering data moving forward rather than looking back, is essential. Larger sample sizes and studies involving diverse populations are needed to validate and expand upon the current findings, allowing for more generalizable conclusions. Such research will enable more effective strategies for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of AAS across different populations.