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Advantages and pitfalls of abdominal aortic aneurysm screening in high-risk patients

Stephen A Badger1, Mark E O'Donnell, Muhammad A Sharif

  • 1Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Center, Belfast City Hospital, Belfast, Northern Ireland. stephenbadger@btinternet.com

Vascular
|October 11, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Screening older men for abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) identified a higher prevalence in cardiology clinic patients. However, comorbid conditions often limited surgical suitability for AAA repair.

Area of Science:

  • Vascular Surgery
  • Public Health Screening
  • Geriatric Cardiology

Background:

  • Screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is recommended for older men.
  • Participant selection may influence AAA prevalence and treatment outcomes.
  • Cardiology clinic attendees represent a potential high-risk group for AAA.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the impact of participant selection on AAA prevalence.
  • To assess treatment suitability for detected abdominal aortic aneurysms.
  • To compare AAA detection rates between high-risk and community-based men.

Main Methods:

  • A screening program for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) was conducted.
  • A high-risk group comprised men aged 65-75 attending cardiology clinics.
  • A control group was recruited from the general community.

Main Results:

  • Higher attendance rates were observed in the high-risk group (62.7%) compared to the community group (45.0%).
  • AAA prevalence was higher in the high-risk group (40 diagnoses) versus the control group (22 diagnoses).
  • A significant proportion of detected AAAs were of a size warranting repair, but comorbid conditions impacted surgical suitability.

Conclusions:

  • High-risk men attending cardiology clinics exhibit a higher prevalence of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA).
  • While many detected AAAs are small, a notable number require intervention.
  • Comorbidities common in high-risk populations frequently influence the decision-making process for AAA repair.

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