Senator Lindsey Graham’s family announced over the weekend that the 71-year-old lawmaker died from “a brief and sudden illness." On Sunday, preliminary findings from the Medical Examiner of the District of Columbia said the senator died from an “aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease."An aortic dissection is a life-threatening medical emergency that results from a tear in the inner layer of the aorta, the body’s main artery that receives blood from the heart and delivers it to the body, according to the Society of Vascular Surgery. This tear allows blood to flow between layers of the aorta and can prevent adequate blood flow from reaching organs in the body. “An aortic dissection is a life-threatening condition that requires rapid diagnosis, as emergent surgery can be necessary. Subsequent decision-making is based on the location of the tear in the aorta and any associated poor blood flow to organs," Dr. Roberto Aru, an assistant professor of vascular surgery at Thomas Jefferson University, told ABC News. This problem can quickly become deadly if the blood flowing in the dissected layers of the aorta ruptures through the outer layer of the aorta.Symptoms of an aortic dissection often occur suddenly and include severe chest or back pain that resembles a heart attack.Sen. Lindsey Graham speaks to the media in Kyiv, Ukraine, March 18, 2024.Vadim Ghirda/AP Photo, FilesAru said patients often present with “the worst chest or back pain of their life that is similar to a ripping or stabbing sensation”.“Anyone experiencing these symptoms or any symptom resembling a heart attack should seek emergency medical care,” Aru said. “A timely diagnosis and emergency medical care are paramount for survival and improved outcomes, so it can mean the difference between life or death."Popular ReadsAdditional symptoms can include severe abdominal pain, ​fainting, shortness of breath, leg pain or weakness, difficulty walking, and stroke-like symptoms such as sudden loss of vision, speech difficulty or weakness, according to the Society of Vascular Surgery. Treatment can require emergent surgery, depending on where in the aorta the dissection is located and what complications are associated with it, Aru said. There are two types of aortic dissections. Type A dissections are more common and more often severe, involving a tear in the aorta near the heart, called the ascending aorta. Type B dissections occur from a tear in the lower portion of the aorta, known as the descending thoracic aorta.Aru said type B aortic dissections without complications may be managed with medications to lower a person’s blood pressure and heart rate but still require close monitoring and may eventually need surgery in the short or long-term. While rare, aortic dissections are more common among men in their 60s and 70s. People who smoke and those with high blood pressure are at increased risk, in addition to those with genetic connective tissue disorders. It can also be caused by trauma. About 10,000 people died in 2019 from an aortic dissection or aortic aneurysm, a balloon-like bulge in the aorta, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People can lower their risk or prevent an aortic dissection from happening by managing their blood pressure and avoiding smoking. Jade A. Cobern, MD, MPH, is a practicing physician, board-certified in pediatrics and general preventive medicine, and is a fellow of the ABC News Medical Unit. Youri Benadjaoud also contributed to this reporting.