Screening for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms
Authors: Jack L. Cronenwett
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2005)

Letters16 August 2005Screening for Abdominal Aortic AneurysmsJack L. Cronenwett, MDJack L. Cronenwett, MDFrom Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH 03756.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-143-4-200508160-00015 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommended screening for abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) with ultrasonography only in male smokers 65 to 75 years of age. Other subsets were excluded in part because of “good evidence that screening and early treatment result in important harms, including an increased number of surgeries with associated morbidity and mortality, and psychological harms” (1). I question the evidence regarding harms.First, the companion review on this topic by Fleming and colleagues (2) concluded that “screening does not appear to be associated with significant physical or psychological harms.” Second, the harm related ...References1. Screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm: recommendation statement. Ann Intern Med. 2005;142:198-202. [PMID: 15684208] LinkGoogle Scholar2. Fleming C, Whitlock EP, Beil TL, Lederle FA. Screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm: a best-evidence systematic review for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Ann Intern Med. 2005;142:203-11. [PMID: 15684209] LinkGoogle Scholar3. Ashton HA, Buxton MJ, Day NE, Kim LG, Marteau TM, Scott RA, et al. The Multicentre Aneurysm Screening Study (MASS) into the effect of abdominal aortic aneurysm screening on mortality in men: a randomised controlled trial. Lancet. 2002;360:1531-9. [PMID: 12443589] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Lederle FA, Johnson GR, Wilson SE, Chute EP, Littooy FN, Bandyk D, et al. Prevalence and associations of abdominal aortic aneurysm detected through screening. Aneurysm Detection and Management (ADAM) Veterans Affairs Cooperative Study Group. Ann Intern Med. 1997;126:441-9. [PMID: 9072929] LinkGoogle Scholar5. Frydman G, Walker PJ, Summers K, West M, Xu D, Lightfoot T, et al. The value of screening in siblings of patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm. Eur J Vasc Endovasc Surg. 2003;26:396-400. [PMID: 14512002] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar6. Kent KC, Zwolak RM, Jaff MR, Hollenbeck ST, Thompson RW, Schermerhorn ML, et al. Screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm: a consensus statement. J Vasc Surg. 2004;39:267-9. [PMID: 14718853] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH 03756.Disclosures: None disclosed. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoPrevalence and Associations of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Detected through Screening Frank A. Lederle , Gary R. Johnson , Samuel E. Wilson , Edmund P. Chute , Fred N. Littooy , Dennis Bandyk , William C. Krupski , Gary W. Barone , Charles W. Acher , and David J. Ballard Screening for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm: Recommendation StatementScreening for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm: A Best-Evidence Systematic Review for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Craig Fleming , Evelyn P. Whitlock , Tracy L. Beil , and Frank A. Lederle Screening for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms Ned Calonge and Diana Petitti Metrics Cited ByAzelnidipine suppresses the progression of aortic aneurysm in wild mice model through anti-inflammatory effectsMaladie aortique chez la femmeDépistage des anévrysmes de l’aorte abdominale et surveillance des petits anévrysmes de l’aorte abdominale : argumentaire et recommandations de la société française de médecine vasculaire 16 August 2005Volume 143, Issue 4Page: 309KeywordsAge groupsFactor analysisMedical risk factorsMorbidityUltrasound imagingVascular medicineVascular surgery ePublished: 16 August 2005 Issue Published: 16 August 2005 CopyrightCopyright © 2005 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF DownloadLoading ...