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Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) are less common in women than in men but are more likely to be fatal in women. As part of the Women’s Health Initiative, investigators assessed AAA incidence in 162,000 postmenopausal women (mean follow-up, 8 years). AAA events that were symptomatic, required intervention, or both were recorded at hospital admission.
Three hundred women reported histories of aortic aneurysm at study entry. During follow-up, 184 AAA events were reported; 18 of these occurred in women who had preexisting aortic aneurysms. Risk for AAA almost doubled with every 10 years in age. Compared with AAA risk in never smokers, risks were fourfold and twofold in current and ever smokers, respectively. Diabetes itself was associated negat…