THE CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS AND THEIR EFFECT ON THE THORACIC AORTIC ANEURYSM SIZE - A PILOT STUDY

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the impact of age, gender, systemic arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia and smoking on the thoracic aortic aneurysm size. Methodology: This pilot study was conducted at Department of Cardiovascular AHEPA University Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece from May 2009 to May 2011. Aneurismal size was measured in 26 consecutive patients with thoracic aortic aneurysm. They underwent a series of three computer tomography images. Results: Older patients and smokers tended to have elevated mean aneurysm diameter (4.88±0.97 vs. 4.69±0.74cm, 5.08±0.16 vs. 4.50±0.10cm, p=0.067, p=0.0023 respectively). Dyslipidemic patients treated with statins tended to have smaller mean aneurysm dimensions (4.53±0.11 vs. 4.84±0.13 cm respectively, p=0.074). Diabetic patients tended to have smaller mean aneurysm dimensions (4.44±0.17 vs. 4.74±0.10 cm, p=0.139). Well controlled arterial hypertension had no effect on the mean aneurysm size (4.68±0.84 vs. 4.58±0.10cm, p=0.737). Conclusion: Smoking, older age had a positive association with the thoracic aortic aneurysm size, dyslipidemic patients treated with statins tended to have smaller mean aneurysm size. Diabetic patients tended to have smaller mean aneurysm size.