Holbrooke’s Heart Ailment Uncommon, Hard to Diagnose
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The torn aorta that led to the death of Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, is an uncommon disorder that isn’t always recognized, doctors said.
Holbrooke died today at age 69, at George Washington University Hospital in Washington, according to a member of his staff and a friend. He had been taken to the hospital Dec. 10 after falling ill and spent about 20 hours in surgery on Dec. 11 and seven hours yesterday, family friends said.