Is the 17th leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for more than 15,000 deaths a year and increasing.  The aorta is a vessel that carries blood from the heart to other parts of the body.  AAA is a condition that develops in the abdominal aorta as the aorta swells or balloons up into abnormal proportions (as seen pictured below). 

Causes of AAA

The exact cause of abdominal aortic aneurysms is unclear.  But recent studies have shown that there may be a few factors that bring about AAA.  The most common cause is old age.  the peak of AAA cases appears in 60-70 year olds.  In the aorta lining of the stomach, there are tissues present called collagen and elastin, which keep the lining strong and elastic.  As one gets old both collagen and elastin fade away as strength and elasticity decrease.  Thus this causes the abdomen to be weak and susceptible to an aneurysm.

An inevitable cause of AAA is genetics.  If you or someone you know had parents who had the disease, there is a very good chance that you or someone you know has a high risk of developing the disease.  Another downside of a genetic cause is that one may acquire the disease at a younger age and also genetics will accelerate the time when the abdomen ruptures.

Other causes of AAA include high blood pressure, diabetes, little exercise, high cholesterol levels, and cigarette smoking.  Smoking releases toxic chemicals into the body and one particular chemical that enters the abdomen is atheroma.  Atheroma is a fatty substance that covers and agitates the surface of the lining of the abdominal aorta.  Atheroma can also develop from many of the causes listed at the beginning of this paragraph.