Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
Ferri (2015) defines abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) as a focal full-thickness dilation of the abdominal aortic artery by 50%, or by at least one and a half times that of the renal arteries. Ninety percent of the people diagnosed with AAA have a smoking history at some point of their life (Ferri). This fact evidences smoking as one of the greatest risk factors for AAA. The frequency of the illness for smokers in comparison to non-smokers is 8:1 (Ferri). Other significant risk factors for the disorder include gender, age, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, family history, and presence of other aneurysms. Gender as a risk factor for AAA hold less significance for the female population. Males have been found to be diagnosed with AAA approximately four times than women. Age, especially those above 60 years, are likely to develop AAA, than those below this age.
Uncontrolled hypertension may lead to the development of AAA. Bope & Kellerman (2015) estimate that 40% of the patients with AAA have persistently high blood pressure. Abnormal results on the lipid panel (high triglycerides and LDL, and low HDL) pose a risk factor for the disorder. Heredity seems to play a considerable role in the development of AAA. Females diagnosed with AAA tend to pass on the disease to their first-degree male relatives; such males have 18 times more chances of having the disorder through the familial lineage (Bope & Kellerman). Connective tissue disorders such as Marfan’s syndrome and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome have as well been associated with AAA (Domino, Baldor, Golding, & Grimes, 2014). Patients having aneurysm of other large vessels or peripheral vascular disease are also at risk for developing AAA. Important antecedents to AAA comprise of high tension in the abdominal aorta and histopathological changes such as accumulation of foam cells, cholesterol crystals, and matrix metalloproteinases (Ferri). These pathological changes could bring about dilation of the abdominal aortic wall, and subsequently, lead to its rupture.
References
Bope, E. T., & Kellerman, R. D. (2015). Conn’s Current Therapy 2016. United States: Elsevier Health Sciences.
Domino, F. J., Baldor, R. A., Golding, J., & Grimes, J. A. (2014). The 5-Minute Clinical Consult Premium 2015. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Ferri, F. F. (2015). Ferri’s Clinical Advisor 2016: 5 Books in 1. Philadelphia, PA, United States: Elsevier Health …
