Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) is part of a national screening programme that has been rolled out across England, to detect this vascular condition. An aneurysm is an abnormal swelling of an artery. Aneurysms can occur in any artery and one of the more common sites is in the abdominal aorta, which is the artery that carries blood from the heart down towards the legs. In some people, the walls of the artery weaken causing the walls of the artery to expand and balloon out. If expansion continues, the artery walls continue to weaken and may eventually burst (rupture) which can prove fatal.
Research has shown that abdominal aortic aneurysms affect men about five times more frequently than women and the prevalence increases with age. Consequently, the service is routinely offered to men in the year they turn 65. Older men in can also join the screening programme but need to contact LTHT to make an appointment on Tel: 0113 2063640 or via Email: leedsth-tr.AAAScreening@nhs.net.
For information around screening for transgender and non-binary patients please view the GOV.UK website NHS Information For Trans and Non-Binary People
