- ALLERGY, RESPIRATORY
- Obesity May Raise Kids' Allergy Risk
- Molecule in Skin May Link Eczema and Asthma
- Childhood Food Allergies on the Rise
- ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
- The Zen Way to Pain Relief
- Acupuncture, Real or Fake, Eases Back Pain
- Taking the Mystery Out of Hypnotherapy
- ANIMAL CARE
- Separation Anxiety, Canine-Style
- Animals Respond to Acupuncture's Healing Touch
- 'Comfort Dogs' Come to Emotional Rescue
- BONES & JOINTS
- Cane Use May Cut Progression of Knee Osteoarthritis
- Health Tip: Alleviating Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Rheumatoid Arthritis Rising Among U.S. Women
- CANCER
- Wristbands May Lessen Nausea After Radiation
- Meditation May Reduce Stress in Breast Cancer Patients
- Mineral May Reduce High-Risk Bladder Disease
- CAREGIVING
- Bariatric Surgery Centers Don't Deliver Better Outcomes
- ER Less Likely to Diagnose Stroke in Younger Folks
- Early Exercise Boosts Outcomes for ICU Patients
- CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
- Secondhand Smoke Quickly Affects Blood Vessels
- Walk 100 Steps a Minute for 'Moderate' Exercise
- Obesity Linked to Heart Failure Risk
- COSMETIC
- Health Tip: After Liposuction
- Study Evaluates Laser Therapies for Hair Removal
- With Psoriasis, the Internet May Offer Hope
- DENTAL, ORAL
- Gum Disease Treatment Doesn't Cut Preterm Birth Risk
- Acupuncture May Ease Anxiety Over Dental Work
- Laser Technology Spots Cavities Before They Start
- DIABETES
- Red-Grape Compound May Improve Diabetes
- 24 Million Americans Had Diabetes in 2007
- Boosting Vitamin D Can Do a Heart Good
- DIET, NUTRITION
- Indian Spice May Thwart Liver Damage
- Dark Chocolate May Lower Stroke Risk
- HELP TO LOSE WEIGHT ON A LOW CAL BUDGET
- DISABILITIES
- Review Finds Marijuana May Help MS Patients
- Could Your Cell Phone Help Shield You From Alzheimer's?
- ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
- Fish in U.S. Rivers Tainted With Common Medications
- Air Pollution May Cause Appendicitis: Study Reveals
- Vest Monitors 'Individual' Air Pollution
- EYE CARE, VISION
- Nutrient-Rich Diet Lowers Risk of Age-Related Eye Disease
- Blood Sugar Control Helps Diabetics Preserve Sight
- 'Blind' Man Navigates Obstacle Course Without Error
- FITNESS
- Any Exercise Good After a Heart Attack
- Community Exercise Programs Boost Seniors' Strength
- Exercise Keeps the Brain Young
- GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS
- Olive Oil May Protect Against Bowel Disease
- Gum Chewing May Speed Colon Surgery Recovery
- Japanese Herbals May Ease Gastro Woes
- GENERAL HEALTH
- Reminiscing Helps Build Emotional Strength
- What you need to know about swine flu.
- Coffee Cuts Liver Scarring in Hepatitis C
- HEAD & NECK
- Many Children Will Outgrow Headaches
- Zen May Thicken Brain, Thwart Pain
- Ski Helmets Encouraged for All
- HEALTH & TECHNOLOGY
- Subway Defibrillators Save Lives
- The Internet Is Becoming One-Stop Shopping for Health Help
- 'Cell Phone Elbow' -- A New Ill for the Wired Age
- HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
- Heart Disease May Be Prevented By Taking Fish Oils, Study Shows
- Low Vitamin D Levels Linked to Heart Disease
- Relaxation Tapes or Mozart Lower Blood Pressure
- INFECTIOUS DISEASE
- Swine Flu Loves a Crowd
- Bacterial Infections May Succumb to Honey
- More Medicinal Uses for Pomegranate
- KID'S HEALTH
- Play Creatively as a Kid, Be a Healthier Adult
- Time to Remind Teens About Sun Protection
- Breast-Feeding May Protect a Woman's Heart
- MEN'S HEALTH
- Varicose Veins May Mask Larger Problem
- Eating Fast Until Full Triples Overweight Risk
- Drinking Green Tea May Slow Prostate Cancer
- MENTAL HEALTH
- Shop 'Til You Drop: You May Feel Better
- Consciousness Helps the Mind and Body Work Together
- Chocolate a Sweet Pick-Me-Up for the Depressed
- PREGNANCY
- Woman in America Are Delaying Motherhood, Study Says
- Acupuncture May Ease Depression During Pregnancy
- Calcium Supplements Cut Blood Lead Levels During Pregnancy
- SENIORS
- Healthy Diet Could Cut Alzheimer's Disease Risk
- Seniors Who Volunteer May Live Longer
- For a Healthier Retirement, Work a Little
Too Few Screened for Abdominal Aneurysm, Study Says
By eHolistic.com Published: 04/24/2009
FRIDAY, April 24 (HealthDay News) -- Few people who are at risk of an abdominal aortic aneurysm are getting preventive screenings, a new study has found.
An abdominal aortic aneurysm is a weak area in the main blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body. As blood passes through, the weakened area can bulge. Most abdominal aortic aneurysms initially have no symptoms but can be deadly if they rupture.
Symptoms of a rupture include sudden and increasing back and abdominal pain.
An estimated 1.5 million to 2 million Americans have this condition, but most are unaware of its potential threat to their lives, the researchers noted.
In the study, the researchers found that only two of 43 people -- or 4.6 percent -- identified as being at risk of abdominal aortic aneurysm had received the proper screening. The findings were to be presented Friday at the American Heart Association's 10th Scientific Forum on Quality of Care and Outcomes Research in Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke in Washington, D.C.
Guidelines, based on available evidence and cost effectiveness, recommend one-time screening of men 65 to 70 years old who have ever smoked. Screening is done by a physical examination of the abdomen and ultrasound.
The researchers reviewed medical charts of 43 randomly selected men who were older than 65 and had used tobacco products. Other data collected included family history of heart disease. The participants' average age was 67. About 28 percent were white, 47 percent were black and 14 percent were Hispanic.
"Our analysis clearly shows that, despite current U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendations, at-risk patients are not receiving appropriate screening for abdominal aortic aneurysms," the researchers said.
Reasons for the lack of screening are unclear, they said. Possibilities might include doctors' being unaware of screening benefits, difficulty in ordering ultrasound, or people not following through on doctors' requests that they be screened.
By comparison, 51 percent of the participants had had a colonoscopy for cancer screening, and 65 percent had received a pneumonia vaccine or other preventive screenings.
More information
The Society of Interventional Radiology has more on abdominal aortic aneurysm.
-- Jennifer Thomas
SOURCE: American Heart Association, news release, April 24, 2009
Last Updated: April 24, 2009
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