The incidence of abdominal aortic aneurysms.

The incidence of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) is increasing, especially in the elderly. This trend has been observed in the United Kingdom, USA, Australia, and Sweden. The increase can be explained partly by an enhanced awareness of the condition and partly by the rising numbers of elderly in the population. In addition, improved diagnostic techniques have enabled earlier detection of aneurysms. But this does not fully explain why we are seeing such a high prevalence of the condition. Evidence for the increase can be obtained from a number of sources, such as routine mortality statistics.