title: Extending Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Detection to Older Age Groups: Preliminary Results from the Liège Screening Programme.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is evident benefit in terms of reduced aneurysm-related mortality from screening programs of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) in men aged 65 years and more. Recent studies in the United Kingdom and Sweden have shown a decline of the prevalence of AAA in the general population. Current screening policies (e.g., men aged 65-74 years), however, do not account for aging and increased life expectancy of Western populations. This study investigated AAA detection by extending the target population to older age groups (75-85 years).
  
  
  METHODS
  AAA screening was conducted in the County of Chaudfontaine (Liège, Belgium) on the population of elderly (n = 3,054). The participation rate was 36%. The 1,101 participants (722 men aged 65-85 years and 379 women aged 74-85 years) were examined by ultrasound scan. AAA was defined as an infrarenal aortic outer-outer diameter of at least 3 cm. Demographics, clinical parameters, and risk factors were also recorded. AAA prevalence was estimated, and patients with and without AAA were compared by logistic regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall AAA prevalence was 3.6% (n = 40). In female participants, AAA prevalence was low (1.3%). In men, it amounted 2.7% in the 65-74 age group but rose to 7.3% in the age-extended group (75-85 years). Further in addition to age, height, current smoking, history of coronary artery disease, hypercholesterolemia, peripheral artery disease of the lower limbs, and varicose veins were significantly associated with the presence of AAA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These preliminary findings, based on a representative sample of the elderly population of the Liège region, support the idea that current AAA screening policies should be updated to cover an increasingly aging population. The presence of varicose veins as a potential risk factor for AAA should also be considered during screening.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium. Electronic address: gmakrygiannis@doct.ulg.ac.be.
authors.forename: Georgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Makrygiannis
authors.affiliation: General Practitioner, County of Chaudfontaine, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Labalue
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Erpicum
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schlitz
authors.affiliation: Biostatistics, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Seidel
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Mounia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: El Hachemi
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Economic Information, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Marjorie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gangolf
authors.affiliation: Biostatistics, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Adelin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Albert
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jean-Olivier
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Defraigne
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, Elitary Research Centre of Individualized Medicine in Arterial Diseases (CIMA), T. University Hospital of Odense, Odense, Denmark.
authors.forename: Jes S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lindholt
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Natzi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sakalihasan
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D018579:Patient Selection; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014648:Varicose Veins / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology