The UK Government will introduce screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Men over 65 will be screened for aortic aneurysm under a new national screening program in Britain.
Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a 'silent' condition caused by rupture of the body's major artery, the aorta, because of a weakness in its wall. It has a high mortality rate but screening by ultrasound can reveal the weakness so that it can be repaired before rupture.

Accordingly the UK Government has decided to introduce routine screening for potential AAA among men over 65. The condition accounts for 1.36 per cent of deaths among men over 65 and for 0.46 per cent of deaths among women over 65. Surgery will be recommended for any aneurysm found which is over 5 centimeters in diameter - because large lesions are more dangerous. Whether the exclusion of women from the screening program is justified remains to be seen. Although their death rate from AAA is lower than for men, it is not negligible. Women are also less well treated for heart disease; it would be a pity if this comparative neglect extended towards AAA as well.

Source
Pulse 5th January 2006

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