NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Drinking alcohol at moderate levels — two or more drinks per day — appears to be a risk factor for abdominal aortic aneurysm in men, researchers found.
Does alcohol affect aorta?
Specifically, patients consuming ≥3 drinks of alcohol/d had increased indexed aortic by 1.4 mm/m2 compared with SoD even after adjustment for possible confounders. Daily alcohol consumption is associated with increased aortic root diameter.
Does alcohol affect an ascending aortic aneurysm?
Background: Alcohol is a possible risk factor for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), but evidence from individual studies is weak and inconsistent.
Does alcohol affect aneurysm?
Key Points about Brain Aneurysm (Intracranial Aneurysm)
Being older, drinking excessive amounts of alcohol and being a smoker can increase your risks of developing a brain aneurysm. Imaging scans can help diagnose brain aneurysms.
What should you not do with an aortic aneurysm?
DON’T:
- Push, pull, bear down or lift anything heavier than 30 pounds (or 10 pounds for patients recovering from surgery).
- Get a tattoo or body piercing.
- Smoke (or be exposed to secondhand smoke) or use any other tobacco products.
- Shovel snow, chop wood, dig earth or use a sledgehammer or snow blower.
- Take illicit drugs.
Should you drink alcohol with an aortic aneurysm?
Moderate alcohol consumption, specifically wine and beer, was associated with a lower hazard of abdominal aortic aneurysm. The associations between higher doses of alcohol and risk of the disease remain unknown.
What can cause an aortic aneurysm to burst?
An aneurysm occurs when a section of the artery wall weakens and forms a bulge that can expand over time. An aneurysm can rupture if it experiences enough stress, causing potentially fatal internal bleeding.
What foods to avoid if you have aortic aneurysm?
Reach for whole grains and complex carbohydrates, such as brown rice or whole-grain bread, rather than refined, white carbohydrates, like white rice or white bread. Avoid or limit sugar-sweetened beverages, including soda, fruit juice, and energy drinks.
Should you take aspirin if you have an aortic aneurysm?
No difference in expansion rates and risk ratios for operative repair was found for patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms <40 mm. For medium-sized abdominal aortic aneurysms, low-dose aspirin may prevent abdominal aortic aneurysm growth and need for subsequent repair, but residual confounding cannot be excluded.
What are the signs of a ruptured aortic aneurysm?
If an AAA bursts, it can cause:
- sudden, severe pain in the tummy or lower back.
- dizziness.
- sweaty, pale and clammy skin.
- a fast heartbeat.
- shortness of breath.
- fainting or passing out.
Can aortic aneurysms shrink?
Over time, the aneurysm shrinks. In some patients, when stents are not possible, open surgery (requiring an incision in your chest) may be necessary to repair the aneurysm by placing an artificial blood vessel into the aorta to replace the aneurysm.
Can I exercise with an aortic aneurysm?
Those with aortic aneurysm may participate in cardiac rehabilitation. Low- to moderate-intensity exercise appears to be safe and effective. Care must be taken to keep the risk of dissection, expansion, and rupture low during exercise.
Is there pain with an aortic aneurysm?
Pain is the most common symptom of an abdominal aortic aneurysm. The pain associated with an abdominal aortic aneurysm may be located in the abdomen, chest, lower back, or groin area. The pain may be severe or dull. Sudden, severe pain in the back or abdomen may mean the aneurysm is about to rupture.
What is the life expectancy of someone with an aortic aneurysm?
Patients with AAAs larger than 7.0 cm lived a median of 9 months. A ruptured aneurysm was certified as a cause of death in 36% of the patients with an AAA of 5.5 to 5.9 cm, in 50% of the patients with an AAA of 6 to 7.0 cm, and 55% of the patients with an AAA larger than 7.0 cm.
How can you prevent an aneurysm from rupturing?
The most important thing you can do to prevent aneurysms is to control your blood pressure.
If you have a family history of stroke or heart disease, make changes in your diet and lifestyle to improve your health.
- Exercise regularly.
- Watch what you eat.
- If you smoke, stop.
What is the most serious complication of an aortic aneurysm?
A serious complication of an AAA is an aortic dissection. This is a tear in the aortic lining. It can occur anywhere along the aorta. Aortic dissection can be a life-threatening emergency.
Does alcohol cause aortic dissection?
Heavy drinkers of >30 g ethanol per day did not have reduced risk of mortality from total aortic disease, albeit had risk variation between aortic dissection and abdominal aortic aneurysm. Conclusions: Light to moderate alcohol consumption was associated with reduced mortality from aortic disease among Japanese men.
Is an aortic aneurysm curable?
When abdominal aortic aneurysms are diagnosed early, treatment is safe and effective and the aneurysm is curable. Aneurysms are often detected while performing tests for entirely different reasons. Most patients have no symptoms, so if you are at risk, it is important to discuss AAA with your doctor.
How long can you have an aortic aneurysm before it ruptures?
It is estimated that an abdominal aortic aneurysm that is over 5.5 cm in diameter will rupture within one year in about 3 to 6 out of 100 men.
What does aortic aneurysm pain feel like?
Ruptured AAA
If your aortic aneurysm ruptures, you will feel a sudden and severe pain in the middle or side of your abdomen. In men, the pain can also radiate down into the scrotum. Other symptoms include: dizziness.
Can stress cause an aneurysm to burst?
Strong emotions, such as being upset or angry, can raise blood pressure and can subsequently cause aneurysms to rupture.
