Frequently Asked Questions
What might increase your risk for an aortic aneurysm?
The leading factors that increase your risk for an aneurysm are:
- Being over 65 years old
- Smoking
- Family history in 1st degree relatives (parent or sibling)
- Being a male
Abdominal aortic aneurysms are about 5 times more common to happen in males than to happen in females.
How does smoking affect vascular disease?
Smoking damages the blood vessels and smokers are at risk for all vascular diseases including peripheral arterial disease, stroke, heart attack, abdominal aortic aneurysm and subsequent death.
In a healthy blood vessel, the inner lining of the arteries, known as the endothelium, constricts and dilates with blood flow. Smoking damages the endothelium, making arteries prone to spasms and deposits of diffuse plaque that diminish their ability to dilate properly. This condition is known as atherosclerosis, often called “hardening of the arteries.” Atherosclerosis is a gradual process in which cholesterol and scar tissue build up, forming a substance called plaque that clogs the blood vessels and makes them less elastic.
Smokers are at increased risk for peripheral arterial disease, clogged arteries in the legs, that cause insufficient blood flow to get to the leg muscles. This causes pain, especially when walking and, left untreated, this insufficient blood flow can lead to limb amputation. While this may require angioplasty and stenting to improve blood flow, many people can avoid these procedures and alleviate their symptoms just by quitting smoking and beginning a specific exercise regimen. Smoking makes that big a difference in vascular disease.
Could my Uterine Fibroids come back after treatment?
Although this treatment may be successful in destroying the fibroids causing painful symptoms, at a later time, more fibroids may grow, become symptomatic and require additional treatment. This is true for all fibroid treatments, except hysterectomy where the entire uterus is removed.