Abdominal aortic aneurysm screening recommendations based on sex, age, smoking history
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening vary by sex, smoking status, and family history. These recommendations form the basis of a final recommendation statement published in the Dec. 10 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Janelle M. Guirguis-Blake, M.D., from the University of Washington in Tacoma, and colleagues systematically reviewed evidence on the benefits and harms of AAA screening and small aneurysm treatments. Fifty studies with 323,279 participants met the inclusion criteria.
The researchers found that one-time screening of men aged 65 years and older correlated with reductions in AAA-related mortality, AAA-related ruptures, and emergency surgical procedures (odds ratios, 0.65, 0.62, and 0.57, respectively). Based on the evidence, the USPSTF concluded with moderate certainty that there was moderate net benefit for AAA screening in men aged 65 to 75 years who have ever smoked. For men aged 65 to 75 years who have never smoked, screening is of small net benefit. For women aged 65 to 75 years who have ever smoked or have a family history of AAA, the evidence is insufficient to determine the net benefit of screening. The harms of screening outweigh the benefits in women aged 65 to 75 years who have never smoked and have no family history of AAA.
"For women who have ever smoked or who have a family history of AAA, more research is needed to determine if screening is beneficial," a USPSTF member said in a statement.
More information:
Final Recommendation Statement
Evidence Report
Editorial 1
Editorial 2
Editorial 3
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