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Community-Based, Nonprofit Organization-Sponsored Ultrasonography Screening Program for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms Is Effective at Identifying Occult Aneurysms

  • Clinical Research
  • Published:
Annals of Vascular Surgery

Abstract

Early diagnosis of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), prior to rupture, is vital for optimizing patient survival. An abdominal ultrasonography examination of an asymptomatic individual to check for the presence of an AAA, however, is not presently reimbursed by health insurance in the United States. This article reports the results of one nonprofit, community-based screening program, run by Aneurysm Outreach, Inc. (AOI; www.alink.org). AOI offered free screening for AAA to anyone who met the criteria of being (1) over 60 years old; (2) over 50 years old, male, and with positive family history for AAA; or (3) over 55 years old, female, and with positive family history for AAA. AOI organized 21 ultrasonographic screening events between September 2001 and November 2004, and the number of participants per event varied from 24 to 240. Altogether 3,088 individuals met the screening criteria and 22 of them were already known to have AAAs. Thirty-six (1.2%) individuals were excluded from the final analysis due to poor quality of the ultrasonographic images. Among the remaining 3,030 individuals, a dilatation of the aorta was detected and confirmed in 61 (2.0%) individuals, in 4.3% of the screened males and in 0.6% of the screened females. Thirteen individuals had their AAAs repaired surgically. The frequencies of males and current smokers were significantly higher in the AAA group than in the group with normal-size aorta (male AAA 83.6% vs. normal 42.0%, p < 0.0001; smoker AAA 54.9% vs. normal 18.1%, p < 0.0001). The mean age was significantly higher in the AAA group than in the group with normal-size aorta (AAA 71.0 ± 6.2 vs. normal 68.4 ± 7.0, p = 0.005). In conclusion, the results of this community-based free ultrasonographic screening program are in agreement with randomized controlled screening programs and emphasize the need for systematic screening programs and the importance of finding individuals harboring AAAs before their rupture.

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Acknowledgement

The research in the Kuivaniemi Laboratory is supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (grant HL064310). Aneurysm Outreach, Inc., has received donations from individuals and companies. A full listing of donors is available on their website (www.alink.org).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA

    Toru Ogata MD, PhD, Gerard Tromp PhD & Helena Kuivaniemi MD, PhD

  2. Aneurysm Outreach, Inc., Prairieville, LA, USA

    Sheila Arrington

  3. Cardiac, Vascular, Thoracic (CVT) Surgical Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA

    P. Michael Davis Jr. MD

  4. Vascular Surgery Associates, Baton Rouge, LA, USA

    Albert D. Sam II MD

  5. Department of Surgery, Louisiana State University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA

    Larry H. Hollier MD

  6. Department of Surgery, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA

    Helena Kuivaniemi MD, PhD

  7. Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 3125 Eugene Applebaum Building, 259 Mack Avenue, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA

    Helena Kuivaniemi MD, PhD

Authors
  1. Toru Ogata MD, PhD
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  2. Sheila Arrington
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  3. P. Michael Davis Jr. MD
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  4. Albert D. Sam II MD
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  5. Larry H. Hollier MD
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  6. Gerard Tromp PhD
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  7. Helena Kuivaniemi MD, PhD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Helena Kuivaniemi MD, PhD.

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Ogata, T., Arrington, S., Davis, P.M. et al. Community-Based, Nonprofit Organization-Sponsored Ultrasonography Screening Program for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms Is Effective at Identifying Occult Aneurysms. Ann Vasc Surg 20, 312–316 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10016-006-9056-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10016-006-9056-5

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