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March 14th, 2008

Screening Highly Recommended for Those at High-Risk for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms

Health News posted 4 years ago by The Healia Team

Many people are unaware of the dangers of an abdominal aortic aneurysm. Unless screened and found early, an abdominal aortic aneurysm can rupture, producing catastrophic bleeding. Less than 40% of patients survive a ruptured abdominal aneurysm.

An aneurysm occurs when a blood vessel becomes abnormally large or balloons outward. The abdominal aorta is a large blood vessel that supplies blood to your abdomen, pelvis, and legs. The larger the aneurysm, the more likely it is to rupture. It is a medical emergency when an abdominal aortic aneurysm ruptures.

The cause of abdominal aortic aneurysms is unknown. However, they have been linked to risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure, obesity, male gender, emphysema, genetic factors, and high cholesterol.

Aneurysms develop slowly over many years and often have no symptoms at all. Your physician may recommend periodic evaluations if an aneurysm is small and there are no symptoms. However, surgery may be recommended for patients with aneurysms larger than 5.5 cm in diameter and aneurysms that rapidly increase in size.

If you have any of the risk factors mentioned, you should consult with your doctor about an abdominal aortic ultrasound screening. To find additional information about abdominal aortic aneurysms, search healia.com.