Free screening offered for potentially fatal abdominal aneurysms

Free ultrasound screening for abdominal aortic aneurysms will be available at selected outpatient clinics next week, ORF reports. The condition usually causes no symptoms but can become life-threatening if the artery ruptures. Men aged 65 and older are considered the main risk group.

The brief, painless examination measures the size of the abdominal aorta. Aneurysms are often discovered by chance. One patient, identified as Mr B., was diagnosed during an appointment for a gallstone after a doctor noticed a 3.9-centimetre aneurysm. Urologists also frequently discover the condition incidentally in men, said Peter Luszczak, a senior surgeon at St Pölten University Hospital.

An aneurysm such as Mr B.’s is initially monitored, while risk factors are treated. Surgery is generally considered once the diameter reaches 5.5 centimetres in men or five centimetres in women. At that point, the risk of treatment is “significantly lower than the risk of the aneurysm bursting”, Luszczak said. The risk of rupture then increases exponentially, he added.

Men over 65 face highest risk

Until it ruptures, an aneurysm normally causes no symptoms. A rupture is an acute emergency that can lead to fatal bleeding and requires immediate treatment. According to the Vascular Forum, up to 80 percent of people affected die from the consequences of a rupture.

Risk factors include smoking, high blood pressure and high blood lipid levels. People with vascular disease or a family history of the condition are also at increased risk.

The Vascular Forum’s online questionnaire can provide a general assessment of whether someone belongs to a risk group. The forum is also offering free examinations next week at selected outpatient clinics, including facilities in St Pölten, Horn and Mistelbach.

Ultrasound screening is not currently part of the annual preventive medical examination. The Austrian Health Insurance Fund said it was working to include vascular checks for risk groups in the programme. The fund said discussions with the umbrella association of social insurance providers were in their final stages. The umbrella association referred to ongoing talks and said it did not want to anticipate the outcome.