Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2010 Feb;39(1):225-32.
doi: 10.1093/ije/dyp320. Epub 2009 Nov 5.

Abdominal aortic aneurysms, or a relatively large diameter of non-aneurysmal aortas, increase total and cardiovascular mortality: the Tromsø study

Signe Helene Forsdahl  1 , Steinar Solberg, Kulbir Singh, Bjarne K Jacobsen
Affiliations

Abdominal aortic aneurysms, or a relatively large diameter of non-aneurysmal aortas, increase total and cardiovascular mortality: the Tromsø study

Signe Helene Forsdahl et al. Int J Epidemiol. 2010 Feb.

Abstract

Background: In a population-based study in Tromsø, Norway, the authors assessed whether an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) or the maximal infrarenal aortic diameter in a non-aneurismal aorta influence total and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality.

Methods: A total of 6640 men and women, aged 25-84 years, were included in a 10-year mortality follow-up: 345 subjects with a diagnosed AAA and 6295 subjects with a non-aneurismal aorta. Non-aneurismal aortic diameter and prevalent AAAs were categorized into seven groups.

Results: In subjects without an AAA, an aortic diameter > or =30 mm increased age- and sex-adjusted total mortality [mortality rate ratio (MRR) = 3.73, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.77-7.89] and CVD mortality (MRR = 9.24, 95% CI 4.07-20.97) compared with subjects with aortic diameter of 21-23 mm. An AAA at screening was strongly associated with deaths from aortic aneurysm and was associated with total (MRR = 1.60, 95% CI 1.31-1.96) and CVD mortality (MRR = 2.41, 95% CI 1.81-3.21). This was not explained by deaths due to an AAA. Adjustments for CVD risk factors could fully explain the increased total, but not CVD mortality in subjects with an AAA.

Conclusions: An AAA increases total and CVD mortality. In the large majority of subjects with a non-aneurysmal aorta, the diameter does not influence total or CVD mortality. However, in individuals with a maximal diameter >26 mm (2% of the population), a positive relationship is found.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Ashton HA, Buxton MJ, Day NE, et al. The Multicentre Aneurysm Screening Study (MASS) into the effect of abdominal aortic aneurysm screening on mortality in men: a randomised controlled trial. Lancet. 2002;360:1531–39. - PubMed
    1. The UK Small Aneurysm Trial Participants. Mortality results for randomised controlled trial of early elective surgery or ultrasonographic surveillance for small abdominal aortic aneurysms. Lancet. 1998;352:1649–55. - PubMed
    1. Wilmink TB, Quick CR, Hubbard CS, Day NE. The influence of screening on the incidence of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms. J Vasc Surg. 1999;30:203–8. - PubMed
    1. Golledge J, Muller J, Daugherty A, Norman P. Abdominal aortic aneurysm: pathogenesis and implications for management. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2006;26:2605–13. - PubMed
    1. Brady AR, Fowkes FG, Thompson SG, Powell JT. Aortic aneurysm diameter and risk of cardiovascular mortality. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2001;21:1203–7. - PubMed

Publication types