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European Journal of Vascular and... Apr 2018Screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) during transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) may be an effective targeted screening strategy. (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) during transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) may be an effective targeted screening strategy.
OBJECTIVE
The aim was to assess the feasibility of AAA screening during TTE and to estimate the prevalence of AAA in patients undergoing TTE.
METHODS
Electronic bibliographic sources were interrogated using a combination of free text and controlled vocabulary searches to identify studies reporting on AAA screening during TTE. The review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement standards. Fixed effect or random effects models were used to calculate pooled prevalence estimates.
RESULTS
Twenty observational cohort studies were identified reporting a total of 43,341 participants (23,291 men and 20,050 women). Hypertension was reported in 41% (95% CI 38-43), hypercholesterolemia in 31% (95% CI 29-32), diabetes mellitus in 20% (95% CI 19-22), and tobacco use in 37% (95% CI 35-38). The aorta was visualised in 86% (95% CI 84-88) of the screened population. The pooled prevalence of AAA in the entire screened population was 0.033 (95% CI 0.024-0.044). The pooled prevalence of AAA in men was 0.046 (95% CI 0.032-0.065) and in women it was 0.014 (95% CI 0.008-0.022). The mean age of participants in whom an AAA was detected ranged across the studies from 66 to 85 years. The mean diameter of the aneurysm identified ranged across the studies from 35 mm to 45 mm. Clinical outcomes in participants with a detected AAA were poorly reported.
CONCLUSIONS
Screening for AAA during TTE may identify a population group with a high risk of AAA in whom targeted screening may be beneficial. Further research is required to investigate the cost-effectiveness and clinical benefits of AAA screening in this setting.
Topics: Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal; Diabetes Mellitus; Echocardiography; Humans; Hypercholesterolemia; Hypertension; Mass Screening; Risk Factors; Smoking
PubMed: 29433798
DOI: 10.1016/j.ejvs.2018.01.003 -
Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases Jan 2015Congenital abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is distinctly rare in infants and children and carries a high mortality rate. Our objective was to summarize the experience of... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Congenital abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is distinctly rare in infants and children and carries a high mortality rate. Our objective was to summarize the experience of the diagnosis and treatment in patients with congenital AAA.
METHODS
Reported cases of congenital AAA published prior to November 8, 2014, were identified through PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and reference lists. All selected cases were evaluated for main clinical characteristics.
RESULTS
Twenty-six cases of congenital AAA were identified in the English language literature. Congenital AAA occurred primarily in children under three years old, but it was also found in young adults and fetuses. With regards to the localization, the great majority of congenital AAA was infrarenal AAA. The majority of the AAA patients lacked specific symptoms, and a painless pulsatile abdominal mass was the most common clinical presentation. The diagnosis of AAA was based on ultrasound scanning in twenty-five cases, multi-slice spiral computed tomography angiography (MSCTA) in sixteen cases, and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) in nine cases. Histopathological analyses were available in seven cases. Seven patients received conservative management. Surgical treatment was performed in seventeen cases, and open repair with an artificial graft was the main surgical intervention. The mortality associated with congenital AAA was high (30.76%). Ruptured aneurysm and renal failure were the main causes of death.
CONCLUSIONS
Good outcomes can be achieved in children with early identification of congenital AAA and individualized surgical repair with grafts.
Topics: Aneurysm, Ruptured; Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal; Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation; Humans; Vascular Malformations
PubMed: 25608574
DOI: 10.1186/s13023-015-0225-x -
International Journal of Vascular... 2020. Aortic graft infection (AGI) is a rare complication following AAA repair and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Management is variable, and there are no... (Review)
Review
UNLABELLED
. Aortic graft infection (AGI) is a rare complication following AAA repair and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Management is variable, and there are no evidence-based guidelines. The aim of this study was to systematically review and analyse management options for AGI.
METHODS
Data was collected between July and August 2018. A full HDAS search was conducted on the following databases: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PUBMED. Meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan 5 software.
RESULTS
1,365 patient outcomes were assessed (10 cohort studies and 12 comparative studies). The most common treatment was in situ replacement of the graft (ISR) followed by extra-anatomical replacement (EAR). Various grafts were used for ISR, such as fresh/cryopreserved allograft, venous graft, and prosthetic grafts. No graft material was shown to be superior. Axillobifemoral graft was the commonest type of EAR used. In the majority of cohort studies, ISR was the main treatment for AGI. There was no significant difference in the overall mortality rate (ISR = 70/176 vs. EAR = 70/176 vs. EAR = 0.87). Graft occlusion rate was significantly lower in the ISR group vs. the EAR group ( = 70/176 vs. EAR = 70/176 vs. EAR = 0.87). Graft occlusion rate was significantly lower in the ISR group vs. the EAR group ( = 70/176 vs. EAR = 70/176 vs. EAR = 0.87). Graft occlusion rate was significantly lower in the ISR group vs. the EAR group (. In situ replacement is the preferred method of treatment as it had lower rates of occlusion. Further strong evidence is required, such as a multicentre trial to establish a management pathway for the condition.
PubMed: 32206352
DOI: 10.1155/2020/9574734 -
International Journal of Molecular... Dec 2017Ascending aortic aneurysms are mostly asymptomatic and present a great risk of aortic dissection or perforation. Consequently, ascending aortic aneurysms are a source of... (Review)
Review
Ascending aortic aneurysms are mostly asymptomatic and present a great risk of aortic dissection or perforation. Consequently, ascending aortic aneurysms are a source of lethality with increased age. Biological aging results in progressive attrition of telomeres, which are the repetitive DNA sequences at the end of chromosomes. These telomeres play an important role in protection of genomic DNA from end-to-end fusions. Telomere maintenance and telomere attrition-associated senescence of endothelial and smooth muscle cells have been indicated to be part of the pathogenesis of degenerative vascular diseases. This systematic review provides an overview of telomeres, telomere-associated proteins and telomerase to the formation and progression of aneurysms of the thoracic ascending aorta. A better understanding of telomere regulation in the vascular pathology might provide new therapeutic approaches. Measurements of telomere length and telomerase activity could be potential prognostic biomarkers for increased risk of death in elderly patients suffering from an aortic aneurysm.
Topics: Aging; Animals; Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic; Biomarkers; DNA; Humans; Mice; Rats; Risk Factors; Telomerase; Telomere; Telomere Shortening
PubMed: 29267201
DOI: 10.3390/ijms19010003 -
European Journal of Vascular and... Oct 2017This meta-analysis and systematic review aimed to highlight the results of endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) to assess safety and... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
OBJECTIVES
This meta-analysis and systematic review aimed to highlight the results of endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) to assess safety and effectiveness in patients older than 80 years of age compared with younger patients.
METHODS
PRISMA guidelines were used; quality was appraised, and data were extracted and analysed following the Cochrane collaboration. The MEDLINE and Embase databases were searched on December 31, 2016. All studies related to clinical outcomes following EVAR for AAA treatment in octogenarians compared with those in younger patients were included for a meta-analysis and systematic review of short- and midterm outcomes. Data were analysed using a fixed or random effects model by pooling and calculating odds ratios (ORs) or hazard ratios (HRs) and weighted mean differences, to investigate the safety and feasibility of endoluminal treatment in octogenarians.
RESULTS
Published literature search identified nine observational studies, comprising 25,723 patients with AAA (5989 octogenarians and 19,734 younger patients). More males (OR 0.621, p=.002) and smokers (OR 0.457, p<.001) were observed in the younger group. Frequent concomitant diseases were associated with advanced age, thus, the procedural duration, blood loss estimation, and length of stay were considerably higher among octogenarians. Although elderly patients have a higher 30 day mortality (2.7% vs. 1.5%, p<.001), endoleak, pulmonary, and renal diseases, no significant difference was found in the technical success of the procedure. As expected, the HR for octogenarians was markedly higher than that of younger patients (HR 1.946, p<.001) for midterm all-cause mortality. However, the re-intervention rate to maximum follow-up period of 5 years was not significantly different (HR 1.148, p=.408) between the groups.
CONCLUSION
Compared with younger patients, EVAR in octogenarians is associated with a significantly higher but still acceptable peri-operative and midterm mortality rate. Because of similar midterm re-intervention rates, these findings suggest that EVAR remains an appropriate therapeutic approach in the elderly group if comprehensive pre-operative evaluation and post-operative surveillance are incorporated.
Topics: Age Factors; Aged, 80 and over; Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal; Endovascular Procedures; Humans; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 28822680
DOI: 10.1016/j.ejvs.2017.06.027 -
Scientific Reports Feb 2016Juxtarenal aortic aneurysms (JAA) account for approximately 15% of abdominal aortic aneurysms. Fenestrated endovascular aneurysm repair (FEVAR) and chimney endovascular... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Juxtarenal aortic aneurysms (JAA) account for approximately 15% of abdominal aortic aneurysms. Fenestrated endovascular aneurysm repair (FEVAR) and chimney endovascular aneurysm repair (CH-EVAR) are both effective methods to treat JAAs, but the comparative effectiveness of these treatment modalities is unclear. We searched the PubMed, Medline, Embase, and Cochrane databases to identify English language articles published between January 2005 and September 2013 on management of JAA with fenestrated and chimney techniques to conduct a systematic review to compare outcomes of patients with juxtarenal aortic aneurysm (JAA) treated with the two techniques. We compared nine F-EVAR cohort studies including 542 JAA patients and 8 CH-EVAR cohorts with 158 JAA patients regarding techniques success rates, 30-day mortality, late mortality, endoleak events and secondary intervention rates. The results of this systematic review indicate that both fenestrated and chimney techniques are attractive options for JAAs treatment with encouraging early and mid-term outcomes.
Topics: Aged; Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal; Blood Vessel Prosthesis; Cohort Studies; Demography; Endovascular Procedures; Female; Humans; Kidney; Male; Postoperative Care; Statistics as Topic; Stents; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 26869488
DOI: 10.1038/srep20497 -
International Angiology : a Journal of... Feb 2021Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a silent, progressive disease that can lead to death. It is easily diagnosed with noninvasive methods and its routine treatment has...
INTRODUCTION
Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a silent, progressive disease that can lead to death. It is easily diagnosed with noninvasive methods and its routine treatment has excellent results. This creates an optimal situation for population screening programs. The aim of this paper was to assess results and methodological quality of cost-utility studies on screening versus no screening scenarios for AAA to assess future establishment of new AAA screening programs.
EVIDENCE ACQUISITON
A systematic review of efficiency (cost-effectiveness and cost-utility) studies was performed, finally selecting cost-utility studies on AAA screening versus no screening. Papers were selected that dealt with efficiency of screening for AAA according to PICOTS framework and the methodological quality assessed according to the economic evaluation analyses described by Drummond and Caro. Two independent reviewers were involved in the procedure.
EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS
Research retrieved 88 studies. From those, 26 showed cost-effectiveness and cost-utility results. Finally, 10 studies had cost-utility results and suited criteria (published in the last 10 years; time-horizon: 10 years or more) for exhaustive analysis. All publications, except one, showed adequate incremental cost-utility ratios according to different national perspectives. Methodological assessment showed some quality limitations, but the majority of items analyzed were favorably answered after applying the questionnaires.
CONCLUSIONS
Confirmation of the cost-utility results in this revision at a national/regional level should be the basis for the implantation of new national screening programs worldwide. The methodological evaluation applied in this revision is crucial for the corresponding future piggy-back trials to assess routine application of national AAA screening programs.
Topics: Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal; Cost-Benefit Analysis; Humans; Mass Screening; Quality-Adjusted Life Years
PubMed: 33086780
DOI: 10.23736/S0392-9590.20.04547-2 -
The British Journal of Surgery Mar 2017The aim was to identify and evaluate existing patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) for use in patients with an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) to inform the... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
The aim was to identify and evaluate existing patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) for use in patients with an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) to inform the selection for use in surgical practice.
METHODS
Two reviews were conducted: a systematic review to identify valid, reliable and acceptable PROMs for patients with an AAA, and a qualitative evidence synthesis to assess the relevance to patients of the identified PROM items. PROM studies were evaluated for their psychometric properties using established assessment criteria, and for their methodological quality using the COSMIN checklist. Qualitative studies were synthesized using framework analysis, and concepts identified were then triangulated using a protocol with the item concepts of the identified PROMs.
RESULTS
Four PROMs from three studies were identified in the first review: Short Form 36, Australian Vascular Quality of Life Index, Aneurysm Dependent Quality of Life (AneurysmDQoL) and Aneurysm Symptoms Rating Questionnaire (AneurysmSRQ). None of the identified PROMs had undergone a rigorous psychometric evaluation within the AAA population. Four studies were included in the qualitative synthesis, from which 28 concepts important to patients with an AAA were identified. The AneurysmDQoL and AneurysmSRQ together provided the most comprehensive assessment of these concepts. Fear of rupture, control, ability to forget about the condition and size of aneurysm were all concepts identified in the qualitative studies but not covered by items in the identified PROMs.
CONCLUSION
Further research is needed to develop PROMs for AAA that are reliable, valid and acceptable to patients.
Topics: Aged; Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal; Female; Humans; Male; Patient Reported Outcome Measures; Patient Satisfaction; Psychometrics; Quality of Life
PubMed: 27935014
DOI: 10.1002/bjs.10407 -
Journal of Vascular Surgery Mar 2021The prevalence of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) is well reported in Western countries and AAA screening programs are well-established. However, although individual... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
OBJECTIVE
The prevalence of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) is well reported in Western countries and AAA screening programs are well-established. However, although individual studies have reported that the prevalence of AAAs is lower in Asian populations, high-quality data on the prevalence of AAA in Asians are relative lacking. The present study aimed to systematically synthesize the data available in the literature and report the prevalence of AAAs in Asians.
METHODS
An electronic search was performed using two major databases (PubMed and EMBASE) with no limitations imposed on the year of publication. The review conformed to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. Studies that reported the prevalence of AAAs in Asians were selected, and the population characteristics, AAA definition, method of screening, target population, and total number of patients screened were recorded.
RESULTS
Our search yielded 157 unique articles. After a full-text review, 17 articles were included in the present study. All 17 studies of fair quality. The overall AAA prevalence was 1.30% (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01%-1.59%) in Asian populations. The prevalence of AAAs was 2.56% (95% CI, 1.81%-3.31%) in Asian populations selected for cardiovascular risk factors and 0.61% (95% CI, 0.37%-0.85%) in Asian populations not selected for cardiovascular risk factors.
CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of AAAs in the general Asian population is low. However, the prevalence in Asian populations selected for cardiovascular risk factors approaches the prevalence of AAAs in Western populations. As such, screening for AAAs in carefully selected Asian male populations with cardiovascular risk factors could potentially yield benefits. Opportunistic screening for AAAs during ultrasound examination of the abdomen or transthoracic echocardiography for other indications could also be considered. However, further studies are needed to evaluate the potential benefits of screening for AAAs in carefully selected Asian populations.
Topics: Aged; Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal; Asia; Asian People; Diagnostic Screening Programs; Female; Heart Disease Risk Factors; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Predictive Value of Tests; Prevalence; Risk Assessment
PubMed: 32987145
DOI: 10.1016/j.jvs.2020.08.140 -
Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons... Feb 2017OBJECTIVES Postoperative cognitive decline (POCD) is a well-recognised neurological phenomenon following major surgery. Most commonly seen in elderly patients, it has... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVES Postoperative cognitive decline (POCD) is a well-recognised neurological phenomenon following major surgery. Most commonly seen in elderly patients, it has direct links to increased long-term morbidity and reduced quality of life. Its incidence following open and endovascular abdominal and thoracic aneurysm surgery is unclear. The purpose of this systematic review is to collate available evidence for POCD following abdominal and thoracic aortic surgery, and to identify continuing controversies directing future research. METHODS A MEDLINE search was conducted following the recommendations of the PRISMA guidelines. Terms searched for included but were not limited to: aortic surgery, delirium, postoperative cognitive decline/dysfunction thoracic aortic surgery, abdominal aortic surgery. Reference lists were searched for additional studies. RESULTS Five observational studies were identified from the literature search. Variation in study methods, cognitive test batteries and thresholds set by the study coordinators did not allow for pooled results. In those studies that did find evidence of decline, risk was linked to age over 65 years, presence of postoperative delirium and decreased years in education. CONCLUSIONS Evidence thus far suggests that POCD can affect patients following major aortic, non-cardiothoracic as well as cardiothoracic surgery. Future research should focus on using a validated repeatable battery of cognitive tests and a single defined threshold for POCD to allow pooled analysis and more robust conclusions. Larger, adequately powered studies are required to re-evaluate the effect of aortic aneurysm surgery on postoperative cognitive function.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aortic Aneurysm; Cardiac Surgical Procedures; Cognitive Dysfunction; Endovascular Procedures; Humans; Middle Aged; Postoperative Complications; Psychological Tests; Young Adult
PubMed: 27809575
DOI: 10.1308/rcsann.2016.0338