Seven percent of Chinese adults have unruptured cerebral aneurysm

(HealthDay)—Unruptured cerebral aneurysms (UCAs) seem to be common in the Chinese population with an overall prevalence of 7.0 percent, according to a study published in the Oct. 15 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Ming-Hua Li, M.D., Ph.D., from the Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and colleagues measured the prevalence of UCAs by using three-dimensional time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography in 4,813 adults (aged 35 to 75 years) living in two communities chosen at random from two districts in Shanghai.

The researchers found that there were 369 UCAs in 336 participants (130 men and 206 women), while no evidence of UCAs was found in 4,477 participants. Overall, the prevalence of UCAs was 7.0 percent (5.5 percent for men and 8.4 percent for women). There was a significantly higher overall prevalence of UCAs in women than in men, and in both men and women the prevalence peaked at age 55 to 64 years. The internal carotid artery was the location for most UCAs (81 percent), and the maximum diameter was less than 5 mm in 90.2 percent of UCAs. In women the mean diameter was larger than in men (3.7 mm versus 3.2 mm; P < 0.009).

"In summary, the overall prevalence of UCAs in Chinese adults aged 35 to 75 years is 7.0 percent and increases with age in both sexes," the authors write.