There is some evidence that AAA runs in families, which is why if you have a first degree relative with it you should be screened at least once. I've been trying to get my husband to do this as his mother had it. It's not what she died from (post-op complications of heart surgery) but what she was being treated for when they discovered the heart problems.
As noted in the article, cigarette smoking is a contributory factor (because nicotine constricts the blood vessels) as is high blood pressure. Gord's aneurysm did NOT involve the aorta but the results were very nearly the same.
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