Atherosclerosis is the most common cause of abdominal aortic aneurysms. The muscular wall of the aorta weakens and begins to bulge. High blood pressure may speed up the weakening, but it is not the cause. Aneurysms tend to run in families, so there is the thought that genetics may play a role in who gets an aneurysm. There is a strong link between cigarette smoking and the occurrence of aneurysms.
Smokers die four times more often from ruptured aneurysms than nonsmokers.
Aneurysms in smokers expand and weaken faster than those in nonsmokers. Abdominal aortic aneurysm may not cause any symptoms for a long period of time. You may feel a pulsation in your abdomen. There may be an occasional mild abdominal ache, back pain, or even groin pain. Most people have very few complaints related to the aneurysm.