Screening of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm in the Elderly Population of the City of Guarapari/ES

Introduction: Abdominal aortic aneurysm is a silent disease with high mortality rate if not diagnosed and treated early. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of abdominal aortic aneurysm in the elderly population of the city of Guarapari/ES and associate it with risk factors. Methods: Prevalence study conducted by simple random sampling. The individuals were recruited by the Family Health Program (PSF) team after an awareness campaign about the importance of early diagnosis of the disease. The test was performed by doctors specializing in vascular ultrasound in a local healthcare center using the ultrasound machines HDI 5000-ATL. Aneurysm was defined as an aorta caliber greater than or equal to 3 cm or when the dilatation was 1.5 times the diameter of the aortic segment considered normal. Results: The study included 576 people aged over 65 years, from January to June 2010. The prevalence of patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm was 2.1%, representing 12 people. The mean age of the positive cases was 72.4 ± 6.2 years. Of these, 75% were male; 50% were smokers or former smokers; and seven (58.3%) reported use of medications for the treatment of hypertension. Concerning aneurysms, the mean diameter was 3.9 ± 0.9 cm, with 91.7% located below the kidneys. Concomitant aneurysms were found in the iliac and popliteal arteries in two (16.6%) patients. Conclusion: The prevalence of abdominal aortic aneurysms found in the elderly population of the city of Guarapari/ES was 2.1% and vascular ultrasound proved to be an effective method for diagnosing this disease. (Arq Bras Cardiol: Imagem cardiovasc. 2015;28(2):60-66)