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Did you know why abdominal aortic aneurysms often have no symptoms?
Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a local enlargement of the abdominal aorta. It can be diagnosed when its diameter exceeds 3 cm or 50% of the normal value. Although an abdominal aortic aneurysm is a potential health threat, in most cases the condition causes few symptoms until it ruptures. Rupture causes severe pain and may lead to low blood pressure or loss of consciousness, which are often fatal.
Approximately 85% of abdominal aortic aneurysms occur below the kidney, with the remainder occurring at or above the kidney level.
The condition is most common in men, people over the age of 50, and individuals with a family history of the disease. In addition, smoking, high blood pressure, and other heart or blood vessel diseases are also important risk factors. Certain genetic disorders, such as Marfan syndrome and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, are associated with an increased risk of AAA.
Why are abdominal aortic aneurysms often asymptomatic?
Most abdominal aortic aneurysms do not cause any discomfort in the early stages, which leads to a lack of alertness to this condition. As the abdominal aorta gradually enlarges, there are usually no symptoms unless its size reaches a critical size. Although you may occasionally feel mild pain in your abdomen, back, or legs, this pain is often nonspecific and can easily be mistaken for other health problems.
Rupture of an abdominal aortic aneurysm may cause severe pain in the abdomen, back, or groin, along with a noticeable pulsating sensation and may be life-threatening.
Risk factors for abdominal aortic aneurysm
Studies indicate that abdominal aortic aneurysms mainly occur in the following groups: men, men over 65 years old, and people with a history of smoking. These risk factors are a double-edged sword and include, in addition to these major factors, family medical history, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Screening is critical for early detection of abdominal aortic aneurysms.
Prevention and Screening
The best prevention method is to quit smoking, because more than 90% of patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm have a history of smoking. In the United States, abdominal ultrasound screening is recommended for men aged 65 to 75 years (with a history of smoking). At the same time, the United Kingdom and Sweden also recommend screening men over the age of 65 to reduce the risk of death from abdominal aortic aneurysm.
Among the 160,000 cases of death in patients with aortic aneurysm, the mortality rate is as high as 85% to 90%, which makes people wonder, how to prevent and identify this disease early in the asymptomatic stage?
Diagnosis and management plan
For the diagnosis of abdominal aortic aneurysm, doctors usually make the diagnosis through physical examination, abdominal ultrasound or CT scan. When the abdomen is gently pressed, in some cases the enlarged artery can even be palpated. If there is significant enlargement after imaging examination, regular postoperative follow-up is required to monitor further enlargement.
Rupture of abdominal aortic aneurysm often requires immediate surgical repair, because every second may change the patient's fate.
Treatment and prognosis
Depending on the size and symptoms of the abdominal aortic aneurysm, patients may choose conservative treatment or surgical repair. For patients with diameters exceeding 5.5 cm, surgical repair is recommended; for asymptomatic patients smaller than this size, surgery can be delayed through regular monitoring.
When considering each treatment option, the medical team will comprehensively consider the patient's overall health and stress to ensure the safety and effectiveness of the treatment.
What is important is not the existence of abdominal aortic aneurysm, but our understanding of it and its prevention and treatment methods! Under such circumstances, how can we increase our alertness to potential health threats in our daily lives?
