EXPLAINED: What is Aortic Aneurysm? A condition that killed journalist Grant Wahl & conspiracies around death

American journalist Grant Wahl's death in Qatar has gained much traction at a time the World Cup host is already surrounded by many controversies. Aortic Aneurysm condition is known as "silent killer" because many people are unaware they have them until the aneurysms rupture or tear, sometimes ending in death.

In a recent statement, Wahl’s wife, Céline Gounder who is a physician said that an autopsy confirmed that her husband died from the rupture of a steadily growing, undetected ascending aortic aneurysm, a condition which has likely been brewing for years. She revealed that the chest pressure he experienced shortly before his death may have represented the initial symptoms and that no amount of CPR or shocks would have saved him. Her statement also confirmed that his death was unrelated to COVID and vaccination status and that there was nothing nefarious about his death.

What is Aortic Aneurysm?

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An aortic aneurysm is a balloon-like bulge in the aorta which is the large artery that carries blood from the heart through the chest and torso, as per Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The strain of blood pumping can separate the layers of the artery wall, enabling blood to flow in between them, causing aortic aneurysms to dissect or burst. This is referred to as dissection. The aneurysm might rupture entirely, causing internal bleeding. This is known as a rupture. The majority of aortic aneurysm fatalities are caused by dissections and ruptures.

In 2019, 9,904 people died in the United States as a result of aortic aneurysms or dissections. In 2019, males account for 59% of all aortic aneurysm and aortic dissection fatalities. A smoking history accounts for around 75% of all abdominal aortic aneurysms.Aneurysms can cause the wall of a blood artery to break or burst, resulting in death if left untreated. Surviving an occurrence like Wahl's is extremely unusual, according to CNN Medical Correspondent and practising cardiologist Dr. Tara Narula.

Narula said the blood in the sac surrounding the heart is an indicator that the artery wall has burst. She said that normally there’s no blood in that space and what can happen is if there’s enough blood that gets in there, the heart essentially can’t beat because it sort of compresses the heart, and you can have a cardiac arrest.

Controversies surrounding Wahl's death

COVID conspiracies

Star Kirstie Alley was an anti-vaxxer and many conspiracy theorists said she was murdered for her beliefs. Now, conspiracy theorists are claiming Wahl died as a result of receiving the COVID-19 vaccination. Wahl's death, however, was unrelated to COVID, according to her wife.

LGBTQ conspiracy

Immediately following Wahl's death, speculation started that some sort of foul play was involved in it. A notion first echoed by his openly homosexual brother, Eric Wahl. Grant Wahl donned a rainbow jersey to a World Cup game in support of his brother, and Eric Wahl was concerned that his brother might face consequences in a country where homosexuality is banned. Grant Wahl did get death threats after wearing the shirt, however, following the results of the autopsy, which was performed in America, Eric Wahl tweeted that he no longer thinks foul play.