Screening for abdominal aortic aneurysms and associated risk factors in a general population

Objectives: To evaluate the prevalence of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) in a general population and to compare the results with those of similar studies in other countries. Design: Ultrasound screening study and collection of clinical and biochemical data. Setting: An urban Health Service District in Genoa, Italy. Materials: A general population, aged 65-75 years, invited by personal letter between 1991-1994. Results: 1601 subjects (741 males and 860 females) out of 2734 invited (58.5%) were evaluated. According to the ultrasound findings, 27 patients (1.7%) had an aortic dilatation of 26-29 mm; an AAA of 30-39 mm was found in 37 (2.3%) and an AAA ≥ 40 mm in 33 (2.1%). The overall prevalence for AAA was 4.4% (8.8% in males and 0.6% in females respectively). The prevalence of smoking, alcohol consumption, coronary heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and arterial disease were significantly higher in patients with AAA (p <0.01). Conclusions: Ultrasound screening for AAA is a reliable and useful method and should be focused on men, regardless of concurrent disease.