Is there an association between chronic lung disease and abdominal aortic aneurysm expansion?
BACKGROUND
Although there is evidence demonstrating an association between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), it is not clear whether COPD predicts greater rates of expansion of established aneurysms. We sought such an association in a cohort of men with aneurysms detected in a population-based study of screening for aneurysms.


METHODS
In addition to regular aortic ultrasound scans, 179 men with AAA underwent full lung function testing in order to identify the presence of COPD and its subgroups, emphysema and other obstructive ventilatory defects (OVD). The rate of expansion of each aneurysm was calculated and the men were divided into 'rapid expanders' (3 mm or more per year) and 'slow expanders' (less than 3 mm per year). Any association with the presence of COPD or smoking was tested using a multivariate model.


RESULTS
Over a median follow-up period of 36 months the mean rate of aortic expansion for the cohort of 179 men was 2.1 mm/year. There was no significant difference in prevalence of COPD (68% overall) or having ever been a smoker (87% overall) between the rapid expanders and the slow expanders.


CONCLUSIONS
Although there was a high prevalence of COPD among men with an AAA, there was no association between the rate of expansion of AAA and the presence of any form of this disease.
Spencer
Carole
C
School of Population Health, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia. carole@dph.uwa.edu.au
Jamrozik
Konrad
K
Kelly
Shane
S
Bremner
Peter
P
Norman
Paul
P
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001012:Aorta, Abdominal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000150:complications*; D014463:Ultrasonography