GEORGE NAVA TRUE II
IT WAS a classic whodunit in the making. A young Philippine Airlines flight attendant who celebrated the New Year with 11 men was found dead the next day in a hotel room in Makati City.
The body of 23-year-old Christine Dacera was in a bathtub at the City Garden Grand Hotel. Foul play was suspected. This belief was bolstered by the Makati Police who said that semen and lacerations were found in Christine’s genitals. Three days later, its chief Col. Harold Depositar announced that they had solved the case.
Three suspects were arrested for her alleged rape and murder while others remained at large. This happened even though there was a pending legal medical review of Christine’s death. Cong. Eric Yap and Sen. Manny Pacquiao even offered a reward to bring closure to the case.
Things changed when one of the three suspects revealed that Christine’s companions that night were all gay. The suspects were released after the Makati City’s Prosecutor’s Office found no evidence of foul play.
By that time, grief, pity, and outrage over Christine’s death had turned to doubt. The tactics of the Makati Police were questioned and Philippine National Police (PNP) chief General Dibold Sinas ordered the removal of Depositar, two investigators, and a medico-legal officer of the Southern Police District for mishandling the case.
Killer remains at large
But the real killer was identified later. As it turns out, the murderer is responsible for 175,000 deaths worldwide and remains at large at the moment. After an autopsy was conducted, the PNP said Christine died of a ruptured aortic aneurysm from undiagnosed hypertension. Many others are in danger of being the next victim.
The aorta is the main and largest artery of the body that’s almost as big as a garden hose. It is about two centimeters wide and carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body.
When it has an abnormal bulge or swelling like a balloon, this is called an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). Scotland’s National Health Service (NHS) Inform said a large AAA can swell to over 5.5 centimeters and burst or rupture when the wall of the artery weakens. This is rare but often fatal.
When Christine’s heart was examined, the PNP said it weighed 500 grams. It added that the normal weight is 300 grams. This meant she had an enlarged heart.
Massive bleeding
A ruptured AAA can cause massive internal bleeding. NHS Inform said about eight in 10 people with a ruptured AAA don’t make it to the hospital alive or die during surgery. In the United States alone, AAAs killed 9,923 people in 2018, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The Texas Heart Institute said pressure from the blood flowing through an AAA can cause it to rupture. This problem is common in men (58%) over 65 who smoke (75%), according to the CDC. Other risk factors are high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, atherosclerosis (hardened arteries), obesity, and a family history of the disease. Inherited connective disorders like Marfan syndrome can also put some people at risk. Six percent of women also have AAAs, the Texas Heart Institute added.
While the condition is common in the elderly, the September 2019 issue of the Clinical Cardiology Journal published a case report of a 27-year-old hypertensive housewife who had AAA. She suffered from palpitations, headache, pain, and a buzzing sound in her ears.
NHS Inform said the most common symptom of a ruptured AAA is sudden and severe pain in the abdomen. There may be discoloration or sores on the toes or feet. In most cases, however, an AAA has no symptom but can be diagnosed by an ultrasound scan which shows the size of the aorta. This screening test is recommended by the US Preventive Services Task Force for men 65 to 75 years old who smoke.
How to survive an aortic aneurysm
If AAA is detected, the CDC said the two main treatments are medicines to lower blood pressure and surgery to repair or replace the affected area. This will prevent the aorta from rupturing. Smokers should quit and those at risk should have regular ultrasound scanning to check the size of the aorta.
To this day, Christine’s family insists that she was raped and wants her body exhumed. They are demanding a DNA test to determine what happened. The family said that her medical exam at Philippine Airlines shows that her heart is normal and she has no hypertension.
Also, nagging questions remain. Why doesn’t Christine fit the typical profile of people with AAA? Why didn’t her friends (one of them was a nurse) bring Christine to the hospital when she vomited repeatedly to the point of dehydration earlier? What will be the results of the autopsy made by the National Bureau of Investigation?
With the PNP findings to consider, we can only hope Christine finds the peace she deserves and becomes a constant reminder to others to have their blood pressure checked regularly. Even without symptoms, hypertension is a killer that shows no mercy. Prevention is our best defense against this silent enemy.
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National Press Club and Philippine Dental Association awardee George N. True II has written two bestsellers based on his popular column that has been running for almost 40 years. For questions about health, email georgenavatrue@yahoo.com./PN
