Screening for aortic aneurysm could be worthwhile

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

New recommendations suggest that men aged between 65 and 76 who have smoked could benefit from screening for aortic aneurysm.
Doctors at Harvard Medical School are highlighting the dangers of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) in older men. An aneurysm is a weakness leading to a bulge within a blood vessel. It usually gives no symptoms. Some aneurysms are harmless; but an AAA occurs in the abdominal part of the aorta, the largest blood vessel in the body. If it bursts, the patient may bleed to death.

The US Preventive Services Task Force now says that men between 65 and 75 who either smoke now or have in the past can benefit from screening. This is the group most at risk of AAA. Screening consists of a simple ultrasound exam. It is not, however, done routinely at present. Those who had a first degree relative may also benefit from screening. If you think you are at risk of AAA, why not ask your doctor about screening?

Source
Harvard Health Letter April 2005

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