Aortic dissection epidemiology and demographics

Associate Editor-In-Chief:

Epidemiology and Demographics

 * Approximately 2000 cases in the US per year
 * Accounts for 3-4% of sudden deaths
 * 2:1 male:female predominance in all types of dissection.
 * Peak incidence in the sixth and seventh decades.
 * Patients with type I dissection present approximately 6 years younger than those with type II or type II dissection.
 * 67% present with acute symptoms (<2 weeks), and 33% with chronic symptoms (>= 2 weeks).
 * Chronic dissection is almost twice as common in patients with type III (45%) when compared with type I (24%) and type II (27%).

Acknowledgements
The content on this page was first contributed by: David Feller-Kopman, MD and C. Michael Gibson M.S., M.D.