What is Jovit Baldivino's cause of death?
MANILA, Philippines (Updated Dec. 9, 2:30 p.m.) — The sudden death of singer Jovit Baldivino has caught his fans and the entertainment industry as a whole by surprise, with many lamenting his tragic passing at the age of 29.
Jovit's family, through the singer's former handler in Star Magic, Jerry Telan, confirmed in a statement that he was comatosed for five days after a CT scan showed a blood clot in his brain, a sign of an aneurysm.
His parents, Hilario and Cristeta, as well as his fiance, Camille Ann Miguel, added that the "Pilipinas Got Talent" winner was recuperating for a week with hypertension medicines and was advised not to sing in the meantime.
"Knowing Bundoy (Jovit), he gave in to [the] clamor of the crowd," read the family's statement.
The singer was invited by a family friend for an event in Batangas City. He sang three signature songs, but Jovit was gasping for breath by the third song. His father confirmed to ABS-CBN that Jovit died in the hospital due to stroke complications.
What is aneurysm?
Department of Health (DOH) Officer-In-Charge Dr. Rosario Vergeire at today's DOH Media Forum talked about aneurysm. She also explained why that the condition is commonly under reported.
"First, aneurysm is that condition kung saan nagkakaroon ng weakness 'yung arteries ng isang tao. Artery ay 'yung dinadaan ng dugo palayo sa ating puso papunta sa iba't ibang parte ng ating katawan. When we talk about aneurysm, it happens not just sa brain but also happens in the abdomen. It can also happen sa legs or minsan sa puso mismo. So, 'pag nagkakaroon ng aneurysm because of that weakened lining vessel, pumuputok siya kaya nagkakaroon ng hemorrhage ang tao, usually sa brain. When that happens, that is very critical for a person," she explained.
She added that such cases can lead to under-reporting. "You'd hear one person na nagka-aneurysm and suddenly namatay na lang siya. Most of these aneurysms are unreported or undocumented kasi usually 'pag dating sa hospital, it's already at that late stage. Hindi na nakakagawa ng scanning, na kailangan gawin to confirm that it was really aneurysm. Mostly, it would be reported as a cerebro-vascular incident and nakikita 'yan as top leading causes ng sakit dito sa ating bansa. So, parang lumalabas, nastro-stroke 'yung pasyente. Un-document nga na aneurysm pala 'yung nangyayari, and not really stroke per se."
Dr. Vergeire said the most common symptoms of aneurysm include sudden severe pain on the head, chest or abdomen and lightheadedness.
As defined by the UK-based National Health Service (NHS), an aneurysm is a "bulge in a blood vessel caused by a weakness in the blood vessel wall, usually where it branches."
When blood passes through the weakened blood vessel and the blood pressure causes a small area to bulge outwards like a balloon. These can happen in any of the body's blood vessels, most frequently in the brain (cerebral) and heart (thoracic or abdominal aortic).
Related: Jovit Baldivino passes away at 29
Larger aneurysms mean larger bulges — and a bigger risk of bursting — leading to uncontrolled bleeding and possible death.
Brain aneurysm breakdown
Other medical terms for brain aneurysm are intracranial or cerebral aneurysm. Symptoms of a burst cerebral aneurysm include sudden headaches (dubbed "thunderclap headaches"), vomiting, stiff neck, and experiencing pain when looking at a light source.
The NHS added that risk factors for cerebral aneurysms include smoking, high blood pressure, and a family history of aneurysm.
Dr. Vergeire said that there are controllable and preventable risk factors of aneurysm. As earlier stated, genetics can also affect a person's predisposition to the disease.
"Merong factors that are controllable or preventable but there are also factors that are inherent in the person. 'Yung mga born na may Ehler-Danlos syndrome and other hereditary illnesses which causes weakening of the vessels of the body. But there are also factors that we can control such as hypertension which leads to aneurysm. Smokers are also at risk. Post menopausal women are more prone to this kind of aneurysm."
The DOH official said that for factors that they can control, primary care management should be considered. "People should always have themselves checked especially if they are at risk for hypertension in the family and if they lead an unhealthy lifestyle such smoking."
In addition, Columbia University Department of Neurology in New York noted that alcohol consumption, particularly binge-drinking or excessive drinking, is another acquired risk factor associated with the formation of aneurysms.
Experts are still debating if the frequency of aneurysms occurs in one from 20 people or one in 100 people; and even though the number of aneurysms that do rupture is very small, they can develop at any age — more commonly in women and individuals aged over 40.
Specific treatment for aneurysms should be determined by a doctor based on factors such as age, overall health, medical history, extent of the disease (location, size and growth rate of an aneurysm), as well as their signs and symptoms.
RELATED: ‘One of the greatest singers’: Tributes pour in for ‘Pilipinas Got Talent’ star Jovit Baldivino
