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Comparative Study
. 2024 Aug 26;25(9):1235-1243.
doi: 10.1093/ehjci/jeae103.

Aortic aneurysms in a general population cohort: prevalence and risk factors in men and women

Michael Huy Cuong Pham  1   2 , Per Ejlstrup Sigvardsen  1   2 , Andreas Fuchs  1   2 , Jørgen Tobias Kühl  3 , Henrik Sillesen  4 , Shoaib Afzal  5   6   7 , Børge Grønne Nordestgaard  5   6   7 , Lars Valeur Køber  1   7 , Klaus Fuglsang Kofoed  1   2   7
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Aortic aneurysms in a general population cohort: prevalence and risk factors in men and women

Michael Huy Cuong Pham et al. Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Imaging. .

Abstract

Aims: The prevalence and difference in risk factors for having thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) in men compared with women in the general population is not well described. This study aimed to test the hypotheses that (i) cardiovascular risk factors for TAA and AAA differ and (ii) the prevalence of TAA and AAA is sex specific.

Methods and results: Aortic examination using computed tomography angiography was performed in 11 294 individuals (56% women), with a mean age of 62 (range 40-95) years participating in the Copenhagen General Population Study. TAAs were defined as an ascending aortic diameter ≥45 mm and a descending aortic diameter ≥35 mm, while AAAs were defined as an abdominal aortic diameter ≥30 mm. Demographic data were obtained from questionnaires. Overall prevalence of aortic aneurysms (AAs) in the study population included: total population 2.1%, men 4.0% and women 0.7% (P-value men vs. women P < 0.001). AAs were independently associated with male sex, increasing age, and body surface area (BSA). While TAAs were associated with hypertension, odds ratio (OR) = 2.0 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.5-2.8], AAAs were associated with hypercholesterolaemia and smoking, OR = 2.4 (95% CI: 1.6-3.6) and 3.2 (95% CI: 1.9-5.4).

Conclusion: Subclinical AAs are four times more prevalent in men than in women. In both sexes, increasing age and BSA are risk factors for AAs of any anatomical location. Whereas arterial hypertension is a risk factor for TAAs, hypercholesterolaemia and smoking are risk factors for AAAs.

Keywords: abdominal aortic aneurysms; aortic aneurysm risk factors; computed tomography; general population study; thoracic aortic aneurysms.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: M.H.C.P. has received a research grant from the Research Council of Rigshospitalet. K.F.K. has received research grants from AP Møller og Hustru Chastine McKinney Møllers Fond, the John and Birthe Meyer Foundation, the Research Council of Rigshospitalet, the University of Copenhagen, the Danish Heart Foundation, the Lundbeck Foundation, the Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation by the Danish Council for Strategic Research, and the Novo Nordisk Foundation and is on the Speakers Bureau of Canon Medical Systems. P.E.S. reports consulting fees from Novo Nordisk A/S outside the submitted work. L.V.K. has received research grants from the Danish Research Council. The remaining authors declare no conflict of interest.

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