Amy Yasbeck wants people to know that the condition that killed her husband, John Ritter, can run in families.

In a recent interview with People, the actress shared how screening after Ritter’s death helped doctors find an aortic aneurysm in his older brother, Tom — giving him the chance to undergo lifesaving surgery.

“I guarantee you, there are people here who don’t even realize they’re at risk for aortic dissection or that maybe somebody in their family had died from it because it’s highly genetic,” she told the outlet at the John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health’s An Evening From the Heart event in New York City.


“John died in 2003 of an undiagnosed and then misdiagnosed in the emergency room thoracic aortic dissection,” she continued.

How Screening Helped John Ritter’s Brother

After Ritter’s death, Tom underwent screening to check his own aorta. Eventually, imaging revealed an aneurysm (a weakened, enlarged area of the artery) in the same region where his brother had suffered a dissection.

“Four years on from when John passed away, Tom’s showed an aneurysm in the ascending portion, which is right where John’s was,” Yasbeck said. “So he had lifesaving surgery.” She said surgeons replaced his aortic arch.

The experience also raised questions about an earlier loss in the family. Ritter’s father, country singer and actor Tex Ritter, had died suddenly of what was believed to be a heart attack. Yasbeck said the family now suspects he may have had an aortic dissection, too.

It’s one reason she wants people to look more closely at their family history, including deaths they may have understood only as a heart problem. Jason Ritter, John’s child from his first wife, Nancy Morgan, has also spoken about how his father’s death has impacted his own health. Jason has regular cardio exams check-ups, given his family history, and it was at one of those exams that he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.

Who Should Ask Their Doctor About Screening?

Yasbeck’s advice is particularly relevant to close relatives of someone with aortic disease. Guidelines from the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association recommend screening imaging for parents, siblings, and children of people who have had an aortic dissection or an aneurysm affecting the aortic root or ascending aorta.

Doctors can use an echocardiogram, an ultrasound test of the heart, to examine parts of the aorta. Depending on what they need to see, they may also use CT or MRI scans.

A scan doesn’t prevent an aneurysm from forming, but detecting an enlargement can give doctors time to monitor it, manage risk factors, and decide whether surgery is needed. For someone with an affected parent, sibling, or child, the next step is a conversation with a healthcare professional about that family history and which tests make sense.

“[If] one person finds out their risk, an entire family can be saved from the heartache that we went through,” Yasbeck said.



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