ABDOMINAL AORTIC ANEURYSM

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Overview

An aortic aneurysm occurs when the walls of the main blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart (the aorta) bulges or dilates. An abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is located in the abdominal area, near the navel (figure 1). Aneurysms can also occur in other areas of the aorta, although the abdomen is the most common site(Brewster, et al., 2003). Abdominal aortic aneurysms are not related to aneurysms of the blood vessels in the brain.

Intact abdominal aortic aneurysms cause no health problems. However, large aneurysms can burst, or rupture, and cause heavy bleeding into the abdomen. A ruptured aortic aneurysm is a medical emergency requiring immediate treatment.

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Risk Factors

Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) are rare in people under the age of 60. About one person in 1000 develops an abdominal aortic aneurysm between the ages of 60 and 65, and this number continues to rise with age. Screening studies show that abdominal aortic aneurysms occur in to 2 to 13 percent of men and 6 percent of women over the age of 65. However, almost 90 percent of the aneurysms identified by screening are small (less than 3.5 cm in diameter) and not dangerous.

In addition to age, a number of other factors may increase a person's risk of developing an abdominal aortic aneurysm:

* Smoking markedly increases risk for AAA(Brewster, et al., 2003). The risk is directly related to number of years smoking and decreases in the years following smoking cessation.

* Men develop AAAs four to five times more often than women.

* People who are white develop aortic aneurysms more commonly than other groups.

* People with other medical conditions, such as coronary heart disease and peripheral vascular disease, are more likely to develop AAAs.

* A family history of abdominal aneurysm increases the risk of developing the disease and interacts with the risks associated with age and gender. The risk of developing an aneurysm among brothers of a person with a known aneurysm who are older than 60 years of age is as high as 18 percent.

Screening for AAA — A screening test to determine if an AAA is present is recommended in certain groups of people [1]. These recommendations are based upon the increased risk that older men, especially those who smoke or who have a family history of AAA, will develop an AAA.

The test used ...