Differences in atherosclerotic profiles between patients with thoracic and abdominal aortic aneurysms

Abstract

Differences in atherosclerotic profiles between patients with thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) and patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) have not been studied. We retrospectively studied the clinical records of 343 consecutive patients (132 TAA and 211 AAA) who were admitted to our hospital for elective repair of aortic aneurysms between July 2001 and December 2004. Clinical variables were compared between patients with TAA and those with AAA by using a univariate analysis, and those achieving statistical significance were subsequently assessed in a multivariate analysis. The incidence of coronary artery disease (CAD) (53% vs 23%, p <0.0001), 3-vessel coronary disease (41% vs 10%, p <0.0001), male gender (86% vs 74%, p <0.01), smoker (88% vs 76%, p <0.01), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (30% vs 15%, p <0.01), and diabetes mellitus (39% vs 23%, p <0.01) were significantly higher in patients with AAA than in those with TAA. In contrast, the incidence of hypertension (91% vs 81%, p <0.05), saccular-type aneurysm (61% vs 7%, p <0.0001), and body mass index (24.1 +/- 3.1 vs 23.2 +/- 3.5, p <0.05) were significantly higher in patients with TAA than in those with AAA. Multivariate stepwise logistic analysis revealed that CAD (odds ratio [OR] 3.65; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.12 to 6.42; p <0.0001), COPD (OR 2.05; 95% CI 1.11 to 3.89; p <0.05), and diabetes mellitus (OR 1.85; 95% CI 1.06 to 3.27; p <0.05) were associated with AAA, and that body mass index (OR 9.39; 95% CI 2.0 to 46.8; p <0.01), hypertension (OR 3.09; 95% CI 1.48 to 6.87; p <0.01), and cerebral infarction (OR 2.83; 95% CI 1.25 to 6.50; p <0.05) were associated with TAA. In conclusion, atherosclerotic profiles are significantly different between patients with TAA and patients with AAA. This result suggests the possibility that mechanisms underlying the development of aortic aneurysms may differ between TAA and AAA, and, from the perspective of prevention, provides further stimulus for the modification of key risk factors for atherosclerosis.