UAMS to Provide Free Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screenings

By Liz Caldwell

Advanced registration and an eight-hour fast are required. Please call 501-686-6176 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.

The screening test involves a simple ultrasound of the abdomen. It only takes a few minutes and is painless, and 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.

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’s 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.

Door prize drawings will be held. The event is in partnership with AAAneurysm Outreach, a national nonprofit organization that raises awareness and promotes screenings..

UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and eight institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute, Institute for Digital Health & Innovation and the Institute for Community Health Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 3,275 students, 890 medical residents and fellows, and five dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 12,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube or Instagram.

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