Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm: A Practical Checklist
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm: what is worth doing, what is worth avoiding, and when to stop and see a doctor.
A bulge in the main artery running through the abdomen. It usually causes no symptoms until it ruptures, which is often fatal, and a single ultrasound finds most of them.
Key takeaways
- Screening (USPSTF): a one-time ultrasound for men 65-75 who have ever smoked
- Men 65-75 who have never smoked: screening may be offered selectively; ask your doctor
- Most useful single change: Ask about a one-time screening ultrasound between 65 and 75 if you have ever smoked.
- Commonest mistake: Skipping screening because you feel well.
- See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to speak to a doctor" below apply to you.
Do
- Ask about a one-time screening ultrasound between 65 and 75 if you have ever smoked
- Stop smoking; it is the single largest modifiable risk factor
- Keep blood pressure controlled
- Tell your doctor if a parent or sibling has had one
Do not
- Skipping screening because you feel well
- Continuing to smoke if an aneurysm has been found
- Missing monitoring scans if you are under surveillance
The numbers behind the list
Those two lists follow from the published figures here.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Screening (USPSTF) | a one-time ultrasound for men 65-75 who have ever smoked |
| Men 65-75 who have never smoked | screening may be offered selectively; ask your doctor |
| The test | a single abdominal ultrasound, painless, a few minutes |
| Main risk factors | smoking, high blood pressure, age, family history |
| Small aneurysms | monitored rather than operated on |
If you change one thing
Ask about a one-time screening ultrasound between 65 and 75 if you have ever smoked. That is the opening item above. Doing only that is still doing something.
Related topics
- Smoking and the Heart: What Published Guidance Supports (Heart Health)
- Lung Cancer Awareness: What the Evidence Actually Says (Respiratory Health)
- Thyroid Lumps: What Published Guidance Supports (Thyroid and Hormones)
- Bloating: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise (Digestive Health)
Where to go next
- Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm: The Quick Reference
- Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise
- Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm — the reference entry
- Men's Health: The Complete Guide
- Colorectal Cancer Screening: What Published Guidance Supports
- Testicular Self-Checks: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise
When to speak to a doctor
Call 911 immediately for sudden severe pain in the abdomen, back or lower back, especially with dizziness, fainting, sweating or a pulsing feeling in the abdomen: a ruptured aneurysm is a life-threatening emergency. Contact your doctor right away about any new severe abdominal or back pain if you are known to have an aneurysm.
Where this comes from
- US Preventive Services Task Force — Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm: Screening
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute — Aortic Aneurysm
How this page was put together
Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarized or generalized beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.
Medical disclaimer
This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to your doctor, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 911.
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