Can we predict which aneurysms pose the most risk?

Genomic characterisation of abdominal aortic aneurysm growth

An abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a swelling of the main blood vessel of the body, the aorta. The aorta is usually about 2cm wide, but aneurysms can cause this to increase to over 5.5cm. AAAs are dangerous as they can burst and cause internal bleeding, which is often fatal. It is thought that around 3000 people die in the UK every year as a result of an AAAs. In the UK men are offered screening to detect AAAs and although most of the AAAs detected by these screens are small, doctors will monitor their growth using regular ultrasound scans. High-risk surgery is required to treat swellings that get too large and around 7000 operations take place each year. We don’t currently understand why AAAs form, how a small one becomes a large high-risk one, and we can’t predict which ones will grow quickly. Professor Matthew Bown and his team are looking for ways to predict which AAAs are most likely to grow quickly. In 2011 they began monitoring how AAAs grow in over 5000 men and this latest funding will enable them to investigate if there are any genetic links to slow or fast growing AAAs, and if these genetic markers can be used to predict how an individual’s AAA will grow. This research will reveal if there are ways to predict the most high-risk aneurysms so that people can receive treatment, and may guide potential new treatments.