Diseases of the aorta cause 5,000 deaths per year in the UK.  That compares with 11,000 deaths from prostate cancer and a similar number of deaths from breast cancer. 

Aortic diseases are rarer than these common cancers but whereas everyone has heard about prostate & breast cancer, many people are blissfully unaware of the existence of their aorta. 

Elective (planned) surgery for aortic aneurysms carries a low risk with a very high success rate.  By the time an aorta ruptures, the risk of death rises to greater than 50%. 

ACT wants to change that,

• We want people who are at risk to be aware of the risk
• We want those who have aortic problems to get the treatment that they need before it becomes an emergency
• We want to help with research into better treatment and prevention

Treated early enough, pretty much every one of those 5000 deaths is preventable