Research may predict growth of aneurysms

NEW research done in Leicester could predict the growth of lifethreatening aneurysms before it is too late.

A study funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) at the University of Leicester could reduce the risk of death from the aneurysms.

An abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a bulging of the major vessel that supplies blood to the body, which runs from the heart down to the chest and stomach.

If an AAA becomes too large, it can burst, causing massive internal bleeding, which is usually fatal. Just one in 10 people survive a ruptured AAA and it is responsible for more than 3,000 deaths in the UK each year.

Scientists do not understand how they form and which ones are likely to become dangerous, so patients are kept under surveillance with regular ultrasound scans.

Thanks to a previous BHF grant, researchers have been able to collect samples of more than 4,000 patients living with an AAA and discover new genes linked to the condition.

Now, a new £587,000 programme grant from the BHF will enable researchers in Leicester to test these samples and investigate if there are any genetic or biological factors with links to slow or fast growing AAAs.

They will also be able to see if these genetic markers can be used to predict whether an individual’s AAA will grow to a dangerous size, which could allow for intervention at an earlier stage when surgery is safer.

The research is being led by Matt Bown, Professor of Vascular Surgery at the university’s BHF Cardiovascular Research Centre and vascular surgeon at Leicester’s Hospitals.

Professor Bown said: “AAAs are relatively common and the only treatment for them is high-risk surgery. When aneurysms are small, the risk of them causing harm is extremely low and surgical repair is not justified.

“Very little is known about what causes aneurysms to grow and why some grow quickly. This gap in knowledge means we are unable to develop and test clinical strategies and drug treatments. Also, we cannot tell people if their aneurysm is going to grow or not, or work out if there are people with aneurysms who would benefit from earlier surgery.

“If this research reveals new ways to predict the most high-risk aneurysms, this could lead to new treatments, which may prevent the thousands of needless deaths caused by AAAs each year.”

Among those to welcome the new funding is Dave Stansfield, from Loughborough. The 67-year-old was diagnosed with a small AAA two years ago, but it suddenly grew before rupturing in July.

Thanks to emergency surgery performed by Professor Bown, Dave survived and has fully recovered.

He said: “I was suffering severe stomach pain. My wife called an ambulance and explained I had an abdominal aortic aneurysm and they rushed me to the Leicester Royal Infirmary. They carried out an ultrasound which revealed the aneurysm had burst. I was blue lighted to Glenfield, where I was operated on.

“When I woke up, it dawned on me how lucky I was, especially because it was the second time I had undergone emergency surgery for an aortic aneurysm.

“I feel extremely lucky to be alive, but also quite unlucky I have had two aortic aneurysms in my lifetime. There is no history of aneurysms in the family so the doctors don’t know why I’ve been affected. I would really like to know if it is caused by lifestyle, or if it’s just something you are born with. That’s why I’m all for the research that the BHF is funding.”