Peoples Health, LSU Healthcare Network and AAAneurysm Outreach will provide free abdominal aortic aneurysm screenings May 20 from 8 a.m. to noon at the LSU Healthcare Network at 3700 St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans.
“This screening test is a simple ultrasound of the abdomen. It only takes a few minutes and is painless,” according to Claudie Sheahan, MD, Associate Professor of Clinical Surgery at LSU Health Sciences Center. “The images will help determine whether or not an aneurysm is present. If the aneurysm is found early, it can be treated to prevent rupturing.”
Advance registration and 8-hour fast required. Call (888) 871-3801 for an appointment.
Individuals must meet eligibility requirements for the screening. Individuals 60 and older who have at least two cardiovascular risk factors and men age 55 and older with a family history of abdominal aortic aneurysm and at least one additional cardiovascular risk factor are eligible for the screening once every five years.
An abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a ballooning of the abdominal aorta, the artery that carries blood to the lower part of the body. This type of aneurysm rupture is the third leading cause of sudden death in men 60 and older in the United States. It is estimated that more than 1 million people are living today with an undiagnosed AAA. Risk factors for AAA include a history of smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and hardening of the arteries.
Founded in 1999 in Prairieville, Louisiana, AAAneurysm Outreach is the nation’s only non-profit that provides education, free health screenings and awareness of abdominal aortic aneurysms, and provides comprehensive outreach for at-risk individuals –-typically smokers, men and women over the age of 60, those with hypertension and people with a family history of the condition.