Smoking and several health conditions were associated with abdominal aortic aneurysm
A research synthesis found associations with aneurysm occurrence, including lower odds with diabetes and no detected associations for several other factors.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Smoking, male sex, family history and several vascular or other medical conditions were associated with greater odds of abdominal aortic aneurysm. Diabetes was associated with lower odds. These pooled associations cannot establish that any factor causes or prevents aneurysms, and the reported null results do not establish that the remaining factors have no effect.
The abstract does not identify reference groups, study follow-up lengths or how estimates accounted for overlapping risk factors. This limits interpretation of the pooled associations and prevents reliable individual risk estimates.
What the analysis found
The review also linked high blood pressure, abnormal blood lipids and coronary artery disease with higher aneurysm odds. These results concern aneurysm occurrence; the abstract does not report whether changing these factors alters rupture or survival.
What remains uncertain
The review reported no detected associations for older age, alcohol intake, cancer, being overweight or physical activity. Several associations also differed between Eastern and Western countries, so pooled findings may not describe every setting equally.
The original publication
Risk factors for abdominal aortic aneurysm in general populations: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Zhang P, Liu C, Li J et al.
PLoS One · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 40982438
- Record checked
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