TY - JOUR T1 - Abdominal aortic aneurysm. Prevalence and associated risk factors in a population of patients hospitalised in Internal Medicine JO - Revista Clínica Española (English Edition) T2 - AU - Belloch García,S.L. SN - 22548874 M3 - 10.1016/j.rceng.2018.04.005 DO - 10.1016/j.rceng.2018.04.005 UR - https://revclinesp.es/en-abdominal-aortic-aneurysm-prevalence-associated-articulo-S2254887418300912 AB - ObjectivesTo determine the prevalence of previously undiagnosed abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) in patients hospitalised in a department of internal medicine, as well as the associated risk factors. Patients and methodsAn observational, cross-sectional, single-center, randomized study was conducted on 241 patients hospitalised in Internal Medicine. The patients were older than 50 years, had no previous diagnosis of AAA and underwent clinical ultrasonography. The dependent variable was the presence or absence of an aneurysm. The independent variables were age, sex, cardiovascular risk factors, cardiovascular disease, renal function, ankle brachial index (ABI), family history (first degree) of AAA or of early ischemic heart disease. A bivariate and multivariate analysis was conducted in the statistical analysis. ResultsThe prevalence of AAA was 2.9% (95% CI: 0.8–5). The cases were confirmed through ultrasonography or computed tomography by the Department of Radiology. All patients were men with a history of smoking and with an age≥65 years. The bivariate analysis found an association between being male (OR, 9.39), smoking (OR, 13.08), ischemic heart disease (OR, 5.6; 95% CI: 1.21–25.91; p<.05) and ABI<0.9 (OR, 12.50; 95% CI: 2.34–66.77; p<.05). In the multivariate analysis, the independently associated variable was an ABI<0.9 (OR, 10.758; 95% CI: 1.968–58.815; p=.006). ConclusionsThe prevalence of undiagnosed AAA in patients older than 50 years hospitalised in internal medicine was 2.9%. The data lead us to recommend AAA screening for this population of male patients with a history of smoking and an ABI<0.9. Clinical ultrasonography enables this screening in a reliable manner. ER -