How did John Ritter die? Wife revisits his misdiagnosed heart condition 20 years later

It's been over 20 years since John Ritter's death, but his wife is more determined than ever to honor his memory.

John Ritter's wife, Amy Yasbeck, an actor and author, has made it her mission to raise awareness about the medical condition that killed him, and she stopped by the 3rd Hour of TODAY on Wednesday to do just that.

Read on to learn more about Ritter's death and the work his widow is doing to save lives.

What caused the death of John Ritter?

Ritter's official cause of death was an undetected aortic dissection, when the body's main artery, aka the aorta, tears. However, doctors initially thought the actor was experiencing a heart attack.

After suffering from chest pains, severe nausea and vomiting while he was on the set of "8 Simple Rules," the actor went to a nearby hospital at 6 p.m.

Following Ritter's death, his family sued a Burbank hospital for negligence. In 2008, his wife, Amy Yasbeck, spoke to TODAY about a separate wrongful death lawsuit she and her family had filed against two doctors: one who treated Ritter the night he died and one who interpreted the results of a body scan he received in 2001.

The actor's late wife explained that she believed her husband would still be alive if he had been correctly diagnosed.

“John didn’t have a chance,” she said. “He was never given that chance.”

Defense attorneys in the case claimed that test results on the night of Ritter's death seemed to suggest he was having a heart attack. An aortic dissection was later detected, and Ritter died at 10:48 p.m. that night.

At what age did John Ritter die?

Ritter died on Sept. 11, 2003, at the age of 54. He was six days shy of his 55th birthday on Sept. 17, 2003.

What is aortic dissection? How does it happen?

The Cleveland Clinic describes aortic dissection as "a tear in the inner layer of a weakened area of your aorta."

"Your aorta is the main artery that delivers oxygen- and nutrient-rich blood from your heart to the rest of your body."

During an aortic dissection, the Cleveland Clinic notes, “blood surges through the tear, causing the inner and middle layers to separate.” As a result, normal blood flow can become slow or stop, and the aorta can rupture.

Per the Mayo Clinic, aortic dissection is a "life-threatening condition that requires immediate recognition," and 40% of patients "die immediately from complete rupture and bleeding out from the aorta."

Due to the severity of the condition, anyone experiencing any of the following symptoms should seek out emergency care:

• Severe, sharp pain in your chest or upper back

• Shortness of breath, fainting or dizziness

• Low blood pressure

• Muffled heart sounds

• Rapid, weak pulse

• Heavy sweating

• Confusion

• Loss of vision

• Stroke symptoms, such as trouble talking and weakness/paralysis on one side of your body

Risk factors for aortic dissection include high blood pressure, having an aneurysm (when an artery becomes weak and balloons out), a buildup of artery plaque, being 60 and older, family history, injury, and certain medical conditions, such as Marfan syndrome.

Aortic dissection is typically treated with surgery or medication.

What are the Ritter rules?

Following Ritter's death, Yasbek founded the John Ritter Foundation to help raise awareness about aortic dissection.

While appearing on the 3rd Hour of TODAY on Feb. 7, 2024 for Heart Health Awareness Month, she shared "Ritter rules," a set of basic terms that help people learn more about the condition. The rules are:

• Urgency. Aortic dissection must be treated quickly to increase the risk of survival.

• Pain. Severe pain in the chest, stomach, neck or back is the No. 1 symptom of aortic dissection.

• Misdiagnosis. Because aortic dissection can look similar to a heart attack, it's important to consider aortic dissection as a diagnosis unless a heart attack or other diagnosis is confirmed.

• Imaging. Only a CT scan, MRI, and transesophageal echocardiogram can identify an aortic dissection. Chest X-rays and EKGs are not enough to rule out the condition.

• Risk factors. An aortic aneurysm increases risk of dissection, as do family history and certain genetic syndromes.

• Triggers. Injury to the chest, extreme strain on the body, drug use and high blood pressure can lead to aortic dissection.

• Prevention. If you're at increased risk of aortic dissection, talk to your health care provider about prevention.

“It’s really, really, really important that you take care of yourself and that you advocate for yourself,” she said.

Yasbek recalled how her husband was treated for a heart attack instead of an aortic dissection and said this can happen if you're not vigilant about your health.

"If you have chest pain and you go into an emergency room and you don't know (if) you have a risk for it through genetics or family history, and the doctor doesn't have it on his mind, (you can be misdiagnosed)," she said.

"It's not the heart and it's not a block. It's a tear in the aorta," Yasbek explained. The aorta runs through the torso, so symptoms may pop up outside the chest area, per the Cleveland Clinic.

Knowing your family's medical history can help you get in the driver's seat when it comes to your health, Yasbek said.

"When people say aortic dissection is rare, (it's) not if it's in your family. Our CEO found out, when she had her dissection, that she was the fifth in four generations," she explained.

If you're not sure where to start, Yasbek suggested going to a family member who knows a lot about your family's medical history.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com