What Should Seniors Know About Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm?
Abdominal aortic aneurysm is a potentially life-threatening condition where the main blood vessel supplying the lower body becomes dangerously enlarged. Understanding AAA helps seniors recognize the importance of screening and early detection.
Understanding AAA
The aorta is the body’s largest blood vessel, carrying blood from the heart through the chest and abdomen to supply the entire body. An aneurysm is a bulge or ballooning in a blood vessel wall. When this occurs in the abdominal portion of the aorta, it is called an abdominal aortic aneurysm.
Aneurysms develop when the vessel wall weakens and cannot withstand normal blood pressure. The wall stretches outward, creating a bulge that may grow over time. The danger is rupture, when the weakened wall gives way, causing massive internal bleeding that is often fatal.
Risk Factors
Age is the primary risk factor. AAA rarely occurs before age 60 and becomes increasingly common with advancing age. Men are affected about six times more often than women.
Smoking is the strongest modifiable risk factor, dramatically increasing AAA risk. The risk decreases after quitting but remains elevated compared to never-smokers.
Other risk factors include family history of AAA, high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, and certain connective tissue disorders. Having multiple risk factors significantly increases overall risk.
Symptoms
Most abdominal aortic aneurysms cause no symptoms and are discovered incidentally during imaging for other purposes. This silent nature makes screening important for those at risk.
When symptoms occur, they may include deep, constant pain in the abdomen or back, pulsating sensation near the navel, and rarely, tenderness in the abdomen.
Rupture causes sudden, severe abdominal or back pain, dizziness, rapid heartbeat, and shock. Ruptured AAA is a surgical emergency with high mortality even with immediate treatment. Most ruptures occur in previously undiagnosed aneurysms.
Screening
Medicare covers one-time AAA screening ultrasound for men ages 65 to 75 who have ever smoked, and for anyone with family history of AAA. This painless, non-invasive test can identify aneurysms before they rupture.
Screening ultrasound takes only a few minutes. A small probe is moved across the abdomen to visualize the aorta. No preparation is typically needed. There is no radiation exposure.
If you are eligible for screening, take advantage of this potentially lifesaving benefit. Discuss screening with your healthcare provider if you have risk factors.
Management
Small aneurysms are monitored with periodic ultrasound to track growth. Most grow slowly, allowing surveillance rather than immediate treatment. Controlling blood pressure and stopping smoking slow growth.
Larger aneurysms or those growing quickly require repair before rupture. Open surgery or endovascular repair can fix aneurysms electively with much better outcomes than emergency repair of ruptured aneurysms.
Getting AAA Information
All Seniors Foundation encourages eligible seniors to discuss AAA screening with healthcare providers. Early detection prevents rupture. Contact us if you have questions about AAA risk factors or screening eligibility.
