Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm, including details on aaa (abdominal aortic aneurism), cardiac disease, treatment, symptoms, surgery.

Relatively high pulmonary and cardiovascular mortality rates in screening-detected aneurysmal patients without previous hospital admissions.

Lindholt JS

Vascular Research Unit, Department of Vascular Surgery, Viborg Hospital, Viborg, Denmark. Jes.S.Lindholt@Sygehusviborg.dk

BACKGROUND: Men with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) who are not hospitalised for pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases may have higher mortality due to such disorders. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Previous discharge diagnoses and causes of death were collected for 4,816 men aged 64-73 years attending mass screening for AAA. Of these, 191 (4%) had an AAA. Overall, cardiovascular- and pulmonary-disease-specific mortality was compared for men with and without AAA stratified for earlier pulmonary or cardiovascular hospitalisations by Cox's proportional hazards regression while adjusting for age. Absolute risk differences after five years were calculated by life table analysis. RESULTS: The median observation time was 63 months. 362 men died from cardiovascular causes other than AAA, and 144 died from pulmonary causes. The cardiovascular mortality was significantly higher in aneurysm patients without previous related hospitalisation (HR=4.35, 95% CI: 2.73-6.94, P<0.001) with an absolute mortality difference after 5 years of 16.3% (95% CI: 10.2-22.5%). Pulmonary-cause mortality was higher among men with AAA both with and without previous hospitalisation for pulmonary causes (HR=3.05; 95% CI: 1.19-7.83, P=0.020, and HR=3.29; 95% CI: 1.78-6.08, P<0.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Men with AAA who had not been hospitalised for cardiovascular diseases have more than four times higher cardiovascular mortality. Studies of cohorts being offered relevant prophylaxis may clarify the potential benefits of general preventive actions.

Published 12 December 2006 in Eur J Vasc Endovasc Surg, 33(1): 94-9.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Research Today. All Rights Reserved.