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Health A-Z

Medical Content Created by the Faculty of the
Harvard Medical School

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

What Is It?

An abdominal aortic aneurysm is a potentially fatal abnormal swelling (often balloon-like) of a segment of the body's largest artery, the aorta. The wall of the artery bulges out rather than remaining straight.

The aorta carries oxygen-rich blood from the heart to smaller arteries throughout the body. An abdominal aneurysm occurs in the abdominal aorta, the part of the aorta between the bottom of the chest and the pelvis.

Normally, the aorta is about one inch (2.5 centimeters) in diameter. The size increases very gradually as people age. If the abdominal section of the aorta becomes larger than 3 centimeters, the person is said to have an abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Abdominal aortic aneurysms are most common in people 60 and older. They affect about 5% to 7% of people in this age group living in the United States. Although about 20% of people with abdominal aortic aneurysms have a close relative with the same problem, no clear genetic link has been found. The family connection seems to be particularly strong among brothers.

Most aortic aneurysms are related to atherosclerosis, a condition in which fatty deposits called plaque build up along the inside walls of blood vessels. This is the same condition that contributes to coronary artery disease in the heart and stroke in the brain.

From Health A-Z, Harvard Health Publications. Copyright 2007 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Written permission is required to reproduce, in any manner, in whole or in part, the material contained herein. To make a reprint request, contact Harvard Health Publications. Used with permission of StayWell.

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