Abdominal aortic aneurysm screening

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends an ultrasound to check for abdominal aortic aneurysms for men who are age 65 to 75 and who have ever smoked.¹

The recommendation does not apply to women or nonsmoking men, since they are less likely to have an abdominal aortic aneurysm. Screening is not considered beneficial in these groups.

People who have a strong family history of aortic aneurysms or who have Marfan's syndrome, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, or another condition that puts them at risk may benefit from screening. The American Heart Association suggests that screening may benefit men who are at least 60 years old and have a first-degree relative (for example, father or brother) who has had an aneurysm.²

For more information, see the topic Aortic Aneurysm.

Citations

1. U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (2005). Screening for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm: Recommendation Statement (AHRQ Publication No. 05–0569-A). Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Also available online: http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/uspstf/uspsaneu.htm.
2. Hirsch AT, et al. (2006). ACC/AHA 2005 practice guidelines for the management of patients with peripheral arterial disease (lower extremity, renal, mesenteric, and abdominal aortic): A collaborative report from the American Association for Vascular Surgery/Society for Vascular Surgery, Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions, Society for Vascular Medicine and Biology, Society of Interventional Radiology, and the ACC/AHA Task Force on Practice Guidelines (Writing Committee to Develop Guidelines for the Management of Patients With Peripheral Arterial Disease): Endorsed by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; Society for Vascular Nursing; TransAtlantic Inter-Society Consensus; and Vascular Disease Foundation. Circulation, 113(11): e463–e654.