Genetics of Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection Gains New Momentum

See Article by Kaadan et al Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is a nonatherosclerotic pathogenesis of acute coronary syndrome, characterized by a hematoma within the coronary artery vessel wall. SCAD may cause heart attack, cardiac arrest, and a variety of symptoms, including shortness of breath, chest pain, a rapid heartbeat, sweating, nausea, and fatigue. SCAD can occur at any age, but most patients are otherwise healthy women ≤50 years of age.1,2 Novel research methods and social media have contributed to a better recognition of this condition, which was previously considered rare with a prevalence of up to 1.1%.1,3 Most SCAD events occur in patients with minimal cardiovascular risk factors. Furthermore, characteristic angiographic and intracoronary imaging appearances are not widely recognized, partly because of a common misconception that a visible dual lumen or linear dissection flap will usually be present. Recent series using careful diagnostic criteria that exclude iatrogenic, traumatic, and atherosclerotic dissection suggest that SCAD causes acute coronary syndrome in up to 35% of heart attack in women ≤50 years of age and is the most common cause of pregnancy-associated …