Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About Aortic Aneurysm
An aneurysm is a bulge or "ballooning" in the wall of an artery. Arteries are blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood from the heart to other parts of the body. If an aneurysm grows large, it can burst and cause dangerous bleeding or even death.
Most aneurysms are in the aorta, the main artery that runs from the heart through the chest and abdomen.
There are two types of aortic aneurysm:
- Thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAA) - these occur in the part of the aorta running through the chest
- Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) - these occur in the part of the aorta running through the abdomen
Most aneurysms are found during tests done for other reasons. Some people are at high risk for aneurysms. It is important for them to get screening, because aneurysms can develop and become large before causing any symptoms. Screening is recommended for people between the ages of 65 and 75 if they have a family history, or if they are men who have smoked. Doctors use imaging tests to find aneurysms. Medicines and surgery are the two main treatments.
It sits within Blood, Heart and Circulation.
The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Research on Aortic Aneurysm
1,075 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.
What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.
Research currently under way
- GORE® TAG® Thoracic Branch Endoprosthesis Zone 0/1 Post-Approval StudyW.L.Gore & Associates
- Post Market Registry for GORE® TAG® Thoracic Branch EndoprosthesisW.L.Gore & Associates
- A Standard Carbon Dioxide Flushing Protocol to Reduce Air Embolization During Thoracic Endovascular Aortic RepairUniversity of Bologna
- A Study to Evaluate the Safety and Effectiveness of the Rapidlink Device When Used in Patients Undergoing an Open Surgical Procedure to Repair the AortaVascutek Ltd.
- EndoVascular Aneurysm Repair: Heart Remodeling and Aortic Stiffness StudyJosip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek
- Using Patient Navigation to Promote Bowel Screening in AAA Attendees.University of Surrey
Research already completed
- Follow-up After Endovascular Repair of Abdominal Aortic AneurysmUniversity of California, San Francisco
- Current Status and Determinants of Care for Patients With Acute Chest Pain in China: A Retrospective Analysis of Data From the China Chest Pain Center RegistryChina Cardiovascular Association
Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Start Here
- About Aortic AneurysmCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
- What Is Aortic Aneurysm?National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Symptoms
- SymptomsNational Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Diagnosis and Tests
- Abdominal UltrasoundRadiological Society of North America
- DiagnosisNational Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
- Heart Health Tests: MedlinePlus Health TopicNational Library of Medicine
- Screening for Abdominal Aortic AneurysmDepartment of Veterans Affairs
- Tests for Lung DiseaseNational Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Treatments and Therapies
- Aneurysm RepairTexas Heart Institute
- TreatmentNational Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Prevention and Risk Factors
- Causes and Risk FactorsNational Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Living With
- Living WithNational Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Related Issues
- Pseudoaneurysm: What Causes It?Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
Genetics
- Familial thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection: MedlinePlus GeneticsNational Library of Medicine
- Loeys-Dietz syndrome: MedlinePlus GeneticsNational Library of Medicine
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Aneurysm, DissectingNational Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Aortic AneurysmNational Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Aortic Aneurysm, AbdominalNational Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Aortic Aneurysm, ThoracicNational Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Aortic DissectionNational Institutes of Health
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Aortic Aneurysm. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Aortic Aneurysm, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.