Sudden Death of Hollywood Actor Reminds People of Ways to Reduce Risk From Cerebral Aneurysm

Actor Tom Sizemore arrives at the premiere of "The Expendables 3" in Los Angeles on Aug. 11, 2014. Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

On Feb. 18, 2023, popular Hollywood movie star Tom Sizemore died suddenly from a brain (cerebral) aneurysm, arousing great attention and fond memories from movie fans. How to prevent and reduce the risk of aneurysms has also become a much-talked-about subject.

According to statistics from the American Brain Aneurysm Foundation, nearly 500,000 people worldwide die from brain aneurysms every year, and half are under 50. In the United States, 6.7 million people have an unruptured cerebral aneurysm, or 1 in 50 people, and about 30,000 people experience a ruptured cerebral aneurysm each year—an average of one rupture every 18 minutes. The male-to-female ratio is 2:3, that is, women are more likely to suffer from cerebral aneurysms than men.

Brain Aneurysm Decoded

A brain aneurysm is not a kind of tumor but a frail link or weak point on the brain artery. The weakened blood vessel walls will either expand or fill with blood, putting pressure on the nerve or brain tissue. The cause of brain aneurysms is still not that well understood, and some are congenital.