October 15
October 15, 2007
Ruberta LaCoste
October 17, 2007
Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA, pronounced “Triple-A”) ranks as the 13th leading cause of death in the United States and the third leading cause of sudden death in American men.
Males, especially caucasians and individuals who have a history of smoking, high blood pressure, hardening of the arteries, high cholesterol or a family history of AAA, are most at risk.
Smoking increases the risk of AAA almost eight times.
“The fact is this thing (AAA) is silent and is a nasty killer,” said Dr. Peter Fail, director of Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory and Interventional Research at Cardiovascular Institute of the South.
Fortunately, CIS, Aneurysm Outreach Inc. and Cook Medical are hosting a free ultrasound screening for abdominal aortic aneurysms for seniors on Saturday, Oct. 27, from 8 a.m. to noon.
“It’s practically a life-saving opportunity for the community,” AOI president Sheila Arrington said.
Anyone at least 60 years of age and men over 55 who have a family history of aortic aneurysm or AAA may participate once every five years.
As men have about a four- to five-times greater risk of AAA than women, door prizes will be offered to male participants.
The door prizes are given out to draw men, who, Fail explained, do not go in for screenings for anything as often as women.
“Men, historically, are immortal. They live forever,” Fail said, sarcastically.
Arrington said the first time door prizes were offered to male participants, the program got its first one-to-one ratio of men to women.
An aneurysm is described as a balloon-like swelling in the wall of a weakened blood vessel.
AAA is considered to be a “silent killer,” because it typical expands slowly without symptoms, until rupture occurs. At rupture, there is a 75 to 90 percent chance of death from rapid, severe blood loss.
AAA is the most common form of aneurysm and forms below the kidneys on the aorta, the body’s largest blood vessel that runs from the heart through the stomach.
The U.S. Preventative Services Task Force recommends all males ages 65 to 75 that have ever smoked be screened.
Interested individuals are required to register for the free screening and can do so by calling: 1-800-445-9676.
The entire screening process runs about 45-minutes, with patients arriving 15-minutes prior to their scheduled appointment time. Participants will be shown a nine-minute informational video hosted by the late Rodney Dangerfield, who suffered an AAA.
Arrington said learning about the condition and being able to report a family history of it to a doctor is vital.
“If you have this history, you need to tell your doctor this,” she said.
The program’s target number is 256 eligible participants. And four ultrasound machines will be available for the four to five hours of screening.
Participants are advised not to eat or drink anything for eight hours prior to their scheduled screening appointment.
Aneurysm Outreach, Inc., and the Cardiovascular Institute of the South are offering free screenings in Houma Oct 27 for abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) to men and women age 60 or those age 55 or older with a family history of AAA. * Photo courtesy of ANEURYSM OUTREACH INC
