Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm & Peripheral Vascular Disease

An abdominal aortic aneurysm, a type of peripheral vascular disease, is more likely to form in individuals already suffering from other such diseases of the cardiovascular system. Each requires medication and, potentially, surgery for treatment.

Aneurysm

• An abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) occurs when the wall of the aorta, the artery that transports blood from the heart through the abdomen and to the rest of the body, is weakened. As a result, the pressure of the blood causes a bulging of the artery.

PVD

• Diseases that affect blood vessels in the extremities are defined as peripheral vascular disease. "Peripheral vascular disease (PVD) involves damage to or blockage in the blood vessels distant from your heart---the peripheral arteries and veins," says the Texas Heart Institute.

Identification

• An AAA is considered to be one of the forms of peripheral vascular disease because it affects an artery and the vascular delivery system in areas other than the brain or chest.

Effects

• The presence of other vascular disorders, like PVD, encourages the development of an AAA. "Patients with occlusive (blocking) peripheral vascular disease are a high-risk group with regard to the development of an abdominal aortic aneurysm," according to an article in the British Journal of Surgery.

Treatment

• Medical treatment initially focuses on medication to lower blood pressure and relax the artery wall. The presence of a large aneurysm typically requires surgery.