Screening based on risk factors for abdominal aortic aneurysm in the cardiology clinic

Abstract

Background: The risk factors for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) are present in many of the patients that attend our cardiology service. The aim of this study was the evaluation of the prospects of examining the abdominal aorta during our consultations and the relationship of AAA with risk factors and ischemic cardiopathy. Methods: A descriptive transversal observational study was designed including 274 male patients aged ≥60 years, attended consecutively in the cardiology service, in which we studied the abdominal aorta and adjusted a logistic regression model to determine the risk factors associated with AAA. Results: We were able to visualize and measure the abdominal aorta in 95.4% of cases in a fast and reliable way. The prevalence of AAA was 8.76%. 75% of patients with AAA presented ischemic heart disease. Patients with AAA were characterized by the presence of ischemic cardiopathy (Odds Ratio (OR): 4.27, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.37–13.31, p = 0.012), dyslipidemia (OR: 4.99, 95% CI: 1, 07–23.31; p = 0.041), arterial hypertension (OR: 4.14, 95% CI: 1.07–15.98, p = 0.039), and a longer history of smoking (OR: 1.03; 95% CI: 1002–1.054; p = 0.037). Conclusions: The evaluation of the abdominal aorta during cardiology consultations is feasible with the standard resources. Patients treated in the cardiology service present a high prevalence of AAA. We have adjusted and validated a clinical prediction model based on risk factors that allows the identification, in the cardiology consult, of patients with the highest risk of suffering from AAA.