Aortic Aneurysm - Screening and Prevention - Screening and Prevention
If you have known risk factors for developing an aortic aneurysm, your doctor may recommend screening. To screen for an aortic aneurysm, your doctor may recommend an imaging study to look at and measure the aorta. An aneurysm can develop and grow without any symptoms until it ruptures or dissects—events that are both life-threatening. If the aneurysm is found early, treatment or surgery may slow its growth and prevent rupture or dissection.
Screening tests
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Aortic Aneurysm - Screening and Prevention
Screening tests for aortic aneurysms will show whether the diameter of your aorta is larger than normal. If it is larger than normal, your doctor may recommend a later, second screening to check for growth.
- Computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or echocardiography may be used for thoracic aortic aneurysm screening. The choice will depend on your age and other medical conditions. The normal diameter of the thoracic aorta depends on where it is measured and whether you are male or female.
- Ultrasound may be used to screen for an abdominal aortic aneurysm and to monitor the aorta over time.
Who should be screened?
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Aortic Aneurysm - Screening and Prevention
Certain groups of people may be screened for a thoracic aortic aneurysm. They include:
- People who have Marfan, Loeys–Dietz, Ehlers–Danlos, or Turner syndrome
- First-degree relatives of people who have a thoracic aortic aneurysm or a bicuspid aortic valve (BAV)–associated thoracic aortic aneurysm
- Relatives of people with familial thoracic aortic aneurysms who also have the genetic mutations
Certain groups of people who may be screened for abdominal aortic aneurysm include:
- Men and women 65 to 75 years old who have ever smoked or who have a first-degree relative who had an abdominal aortic aneurysm
- Men 65 to 75 years old who never smoked but have other risk factors, such as a family history of abdominal aortic aneurysms in any family member, other vascular aneurysms, or coronary heart disease
- Men and women more than 75 years old who are in good health, who have ever smoked, or who have a first-degree relative who had an abdominal aortic aneurysm.
- People who have peripheral artery disease, regardless of age, sex, smoking history, or family history
Prevention strategies
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Aortic Aneurysm - Screening and Prevention
If you have risk factors for developing an aneurysm, your doctor may recommend heart-healthy lifestyle changes to help prevent the condition, including:
- Avoiding stimulants, such as cocaine
- Heart-healthy eating
- Managing stress, which can help lower high blood pressure
- Quitting smoking, especially cigarette smoking, which is a leading risk factor for developing an aortic aneurysm
Look for
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Aortic Aneurysm - Screening and Prevention
- Diagnosis will discuss tests and procedures that your doctor may use to diagnose an aortic aneurysm.
- Living With will discuss what your doctor may recommend to prevent your aortic aneurysm from becoming larger or causing complications.
- Research for Your Health will discuss how we are using current research and advancing research to prevent aortic aneurysm.