Preliminary data from the Liège Screening programme suggests the reported decline in AAA prevalence is not global

Background: Population based studies have shown evident benefit in terms of mortality from screening for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) among men aged over 65. However, recent studies from USA, UK and Sweden suggest a decrease in the prevalence of AAA in the general population. Whether these findings are generalizable for the rest of Europe is unknown. Thus we decided to set up a screening program in order to detect AAA in Liege, Belgium.

Material and Methods: During our ongoing study, over a first 3-month period, abdominal aortic ultrasound was performed on 541 participants, (198 women 343 men) to measure the maximal suprarenal and infrarenal aortic outer-outer diameter as well as the maximal diameter of the common iliac arteries. Moreover, we have measured arm and ankle blood pressure in each subject and the clinical characteristics of the patients, were collected.

Results: The overall AAA prevalence was 4.62% (n = 25). In female participants aged ≥ 74 years the AAA prevalence amounted 1.01 %. While in male patients aged ≥ 65 years, it rose to 6.71%. Statistical analysis showed that male gender, aging, history of ischemic heart diseases, hyperlipidemia and varicose veins were significantly associated with AAA.

Conclusion: Despite a reported declining prevalence of AAA in some recent population-based studies, we found that the prevalence of AAA in Liège population remains high in men aged 65 years or more. The prevalence of AAA seems to vary in different geographical regions. However, we need a larger sample to confirm our preliminary findings.