I'm no doctor, but I found this on the web. Tommy Points for Tommy's doctors in catching this. (Oops, wrong forum!):
The occurrence of Abdominal Aortic Aneurisms (AAA) has tripled over the past three decades. This is a frightening statistic for a condition that often occurs without recognizable symptoms.
AAA is the most common type of aortic aneurism. They occur in the abdominal section - lower section - of the aortic artery. Like other aneurisms, AAAs are immediately caused by a weakening in the aortic wall which bulges under the influence of blood pressure.
In the United States ruptured abdominal aortic aneurisms are responsible for an estimated 15,000 deaths per year. This fact makes aneurism rupture one of the leading causes of death in the US.
Who Is Likely To Have An Aortic Aneurism?
Generally speaking, aortic aneurisms occur among the older generation. Specifically, over 75% of diagnosed aortic aneurisms are found in people beyond the age of 60. It has been estimated that one in every 250 people over the age of 50 will die of a ruptured AAA.
Statistics suggest that between two and four percent of the adult population is afflicted with an abdominal aortic aneurism. This is especially true for people with advanced atherosclerosis. Other factors which influence the development of aortic aneurisms are…
* smoking
* chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
* hypertension
* high cholesterol
Smokers die four times more often from ruptured aneurisms than nonsmokers.
Males are affected seven times more often than females with white males having the highest incidence.
People with a first-degree relative having an aortic aneurism are also more likely to develop one themselves. This indicates that genetic conditions also influence aneurism development.
http://www.optimal-heart-health.com/abd ... risms.html
