\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n \tRelated story \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tJenny McCarthy Opens Up About Mold \u2018Nightmare\u2019 That Had Her Immune System \u2018Under Attack\u2019\t\t<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p><\/div>\n \t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<\/article>\n \t \n\t\u201cJohn died in 2003 of an undiagnosed and then misdiagnosed in the emergency room thoracic aortic dissection,\u201d she continued.<\/p>\n \n\tAfter Ritter\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cFour years on from when John passed away, Tom\u2019s showed an aneurysm in the ascending portion, which is right where John\u2019s was,\u201d Yasbeck said. \u201cSo he had lifesaving surgery.\u201d She said surgeons replaced his aortic arch.<\/p>\n \n\tThe experience also raised questions about an earlier loss in the family. Ritter\u2019s father, country singer and actor Tex Ritter<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n \n\tIt\u2019s 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<\/a>, John\u2019s child from his first wife, Nancy Morgan, has also spoken about how his father\u2019s 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n\tYasbeck\u2019s advice is particularly relevant to close relatives of someone with aortic disease. Guidelines from the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association<\/a> recommend screening imaging for parents, siblings, and children<\/a> of people who have had an aortic dissection or an aneurysm affecting the aortic root or ascending aorta.<\/p>\n \n\tDoctors 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.<\/p>\n \n\tA scan doesn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201c[If] one person finds out their risk, an entire family can be saved from the heartache that we went through,\u201d Yasbeck said.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n![\"Jenny](\"https:\/\/www.sheknows.com\/wp-content\/themes\/vip\/pmc-sheknows-2020\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\")
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\n<\/section>\n<\/p>\n\n\t\tHow Screening Helped John Ritter\u2019s Brother\t<\/h2>\n
\n\t\tWho Should Ask Their Doctor About Screening?\t<\/h2>\n