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Mass or high-risk screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm
J S Lindholt1, E W Henneberg, H Fasting
1Department of Vascular Surgery, Viborg Hospital, Denmark.
The British Journal of Surgery
|January 1, 1997
Summary
Mass screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) in older men is more effective than targeting high-risk groups. This approach identifies more aneurysms with higher attendance rates, making it a preferred strategy.
Area of Science:
- Vascular Surgery
- Public Health Screening
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is linked to hypertension, myocardial infarction, COPD, and claudication.
- A debate exists on restricting AAA screening to men with these associated diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the effectiveness of mass screening versus targeted screening of high-risk men for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA).
Main Methods:
- A study merged hospital records of AAA-associated diseases with mass screening data from 4404 men aged 65-73.
- Screening attendance and AAA prevalence were analyzed across different risk groups.
Main Results:
- Targeting high-risk groups (hypertension, AMI, COAD, etc.) would reduce scans by 78.5% and detect 51.1% of AAAs found in mass screening.
- Mass screening achieved an 80.4% attendance rate with 9.5% AAA prevalence, compared to 74.7% attendance and 2.7% prevalence in non-high-risk men.
Conclusions:
- Mass screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is recommended over high-risk group screening.
- This strategy is more efficient in identifying AAAs and achieving higher participation rates.