King's College London

Aortic dissection (AD) research to date has rightly focused on early diagnosis, surgical technique, and in-hospital mortality outcome. However, evidence is limited in relation to:

Quality of life: Existing evidence is sparse and methodologically varied. There is currently no consensus on which aspects or tools to use to measure QoL or HRQoL, and the development of a disease-specific tool for AD has been recommended

Sex-specific outcomes: Current evidence is inconclusive relating to sex-specific outcomes after aortic dissection and no evidence is available from the UK.

Underrepresentation of women in AD research studies: Despite women representing approximately 50% of the AD population, women are under-researched (approximately a third of AD research participants), impacting the validity of the current evidence for women. Therefore, studies are needed that explore sex-specific outcomes and women-only studies may be needed.

Since a paucity of robust evidence exists, with no UK studies identified, pursuing research in these areas is needed. To explore the areas of importance and design future studies active and meaningful patient and public involvement (PPI) is required. We will work with TADCT patient partners (700 members) to identify research priorities and develop those with a dedicated patient panel (10 members) for future research.