Increasing prevalence of abdominal aortic aneurysms. A necropsy study

Abstract

Objective: To analyse the prevalence of abdominal aortic aneurysms in the city of Malmö.

Design: Retrospective demographic study.

Setting: Malmö General Hospital.

Material: Reports of all 45,838 necropsies done at the Department of Pathology, Malmö General Hospital 1958-1986.

Results: Abdominal aortic aneurysms were found in 4,300/100,000 men and 2,100/100,000 women. The mean annual age-standardised increase of aortic aneurysmal disease was 4.7% among men and 3.0% among women. The prevalence among men increased rapidly after the age of 55 and reached a peak of 5.9% at the age of 80; that among women increased after the age of 70 and reached a peak of 4.5% above the age of 90 years.

Conclusion: The prevalence of aortic aneurysmal diseases has increased during the last three decades, and is age and sex-dependent.