The death of U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham at age 71 has led to a medical review of aortic dissection and other related heart and blood vessel problems.

美國參議員 Lindsey Graham 在 71 歲時過世，引發了醫學界對主動脈剝離及其他相關心臟與血管問題的重新審視。

Preliminary reports from the medical examiner state that Senator Graham died from an aortic dissection. This condition happens when the inner layer of the aorta tears, allowing blood to flow into the wall of the artery. This creates a second channel and weakens the vessel. In the Senator's case, this was caused by cardiovascular disease, which is usually linked to old age, long-term high blood pressure, and the hardening of the arteries.

法醫的初步報告指出，Graham 參議員死於主動脈剝離。這種情況發生在主動脈內層撕裂，導致血液流入動脈壁中。這會形成第二條通道並削弱血管。在該參議員的案例中，這是由心血管疾病引起，而這類疾病通常與年齡增長、長期高血壓及動脈硬化有關。

It is important to distinguish between three main types of aortic problems: aneurysms, dissections, and ruptures. An aneurysm is a slow swelling of the aortic wall, whereas a dissection is a sudden tear. A rupture is the final failure of the wall, which causes severe internal bleeding. While the Senator's condition was related to age, other cases—such as the death of journalist Grant Wahl at age 49—have different causes. In younger people, these failures are often linked to inherited genetic disorders, such as Marfan syndrome, rather than long-term wear and tear.

區分三種主要的主動脈問題至關重要：主動脈瘤、剝離與破裂。主動脈瘤是主動脈壁的緩慢腫脹，而剝離則是突然的撕裂。破裂則是管壁最終崩潰，導致嚴重內出血。雖然該參議員的情況與年齡相關，但其他案例——例如 49 歲的記者 Grant Wahl 的逝世——則有不同原因。在年輕人中，這些失效通常與遺傳性基因疾病（如馬凡氏綜合症 Marfan syndrome）有關，而非長期的損耗。

Diagnosing these issues is difficult because the symptoms are similar to a heart attack. Therefore, doctors often use CT scans to tell the difference between a dissection and less serious chest or abdominal pain. To manage these risks, health organizations recommend screening for high-risk groups, particularly men aged 65 to 75 who have smoked. Furthermore, the New York City medical examiner's office has started the GIFTS program, which provides genetic testing for relatives of deceased patients to find those who may have the same hereditary risks.

診斷這些問題很困難，因為症狀與心臟病發相似。因此，醫生通常使用 CT 掃描來區分剝離與較不嚴重的胸痛或腹痛。為了管理這些風險，健康組織建議高風險群體進行篩檢，特別是 65 至 75 歲且有吸菸習慣的男性。此外，紐約市法醫辦公室已啟動 GIFTS 計畫，為死者的親屬提供基因檢測，以找出可能具有相同遺傳風險的人員。

Senator Graham's death highlights how common age-related aortic dissection is and emphasizes the need for blood pressure control and genetic testing for people at risk.

Graham 參議員的過世突顯了與年齡相關的主動脈剝離是多麼普遍，並強調了高風險人士控制血壓與進行基因檢測的必要性。