Aneurysm Causes & Risk Factors - OmniMedicalSearch.com

Conditions & Diseases:Cardiovascular System

Aneurysm

Causes & Risk Factors

Causes

The various causes which can lead to aneurysms include:

1. Atherosclerosis: On aging, a sticky substance called plaque builds up in the inside walls of the arteries and over a period of time excess plaque causes the aorta to harden and narrow the inside of arteries, thus weakening and damaging the arterial walls. This damaged portion of artery can stretch or “balloon” due to blood pressure inside the artery leading to aneurysm.

2. Hypertension (high blood pressure)

3. Deep wounds, injuries or infections to blood vessels.

4. High cholesterol content in the blood.

5. Inherited disease such as Marfan syndrome (Marfan syndrome affects the body’s connective tissue causing the people to have long bones and flexible joints).

6. Infections such as untreated Syphilis (a sexually transmitted disease), Vasculitis (inflammation of blood vessels) and Tuberculosis can cause aneurysms.

7. A severe traumatic fall or car accident can cause thoracic aortic aneurysm (1), (4) & (5) .

Risk Factors

Major risk factors are as follows:

1. Smoking: A smoker is eight times more at risk as compared to a non-smoker.

2. Overweight or obesity

3. A person with a family history of aortic aneurysm or other arterial disease is at risk of developing aneurysm.

4. Severe and persistent hypertension in people in the age group of 35 to 60 years have a risk of developing cerebral aneurysm.

5. Usage of stimulant drugs such as cocaine (1).

Article by Kona Vishnu, MS
Medical Writer,
OmniMedicalSearch.com