US Senator Lindsey Graham's sudden death: Why there were no warning signs

American politician and Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the closest allies of Donald Trump, passed away on July 11, following aortic dissection, at the age of 71. His sudden passing has stunned both Washington and global leaders, with many expressing shock and deep grief. According to his colleagues, he showed no signs of previous illness, and he was exceptionally active on his work front even last week, visiting Turkey and Ukraine. Though he was visibly tired after his trips, he realised he was unwell only once he started having severe chest pain. However, by the time the medical team came, Graham had a full cardiac arrest and was declared dead at the George Washington University Hospital.

His health condition
Preliminary reports suggest that Graham had an underlying health condition due to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, which is generally termed as hardening of the arteries. According to doctors, it is a notoriously silent condition. A patient can apparently live for many years with plaque building in their blood vessels, feeling totally healthy. The Cleveland Clinic says that until the condition triggers a catastrophic medical emergency like a cardiac arrest, it can remain totally invisible. The plaque deposit is caused by the accumulation of calcium, fat, and cholesterol within the blood vessels and the tissue layers of the arterial wall.

Can it be detected?
While the disease has no warning signs, it is possible to know whether someone's arteries are hardening through medical tests. Special blood work and imaging technologies can uncover this arterial damage. The most effective tests, according to the Mayo Clinic, are the following:
a) Advanced imaging tests like the coronary calcium scan, CT angiography, carotid ultrasound and echocardiogram or TEE.
b) Blood marker tests like the advanced lipid panels, high-sensitivity C-Reactive Protein test.

d) Exercise stress test that monitors blood flow during exercise
e) Ankle-Brachial Index that detects narrowing of arteries.

Who should get the tests?
a) Those who have a strong family history of heart attacks and strokes
b) Those who have high BP and cholesterol
c) Those who have a history of tobacco usage
d) Those who are diabetic
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