Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening Guidelines for Women

Recommendations for Women by Risk Category

The American College of Physicians recommends against routine screening for AAA in women who have never smoked, as the harms likely outweigh the benefits 1, 2
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has issued an "I Statement" indicating that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening in women ages 65-75 who have ever smoked 1, 3
The European Society of Cardiology recommends screening for first-degree relatives of patients with AAA aged ≥50 years 2

The American Heart Association recommends using ultrasound for screening, which is safe, painless, and non-invasive 1
The European Society of Cardiology suggests opportunistic screening may be considered in women aged ≥75 years during transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) 2
The American College of Cardiology recommends treatment decisions for identified AAAs depend on size, with small aneurysms (<5.5 cm) typically monitored with periodic ultrasound and surgical intervention generally recommended for aneurysms ≥5.5 cm or those growing rapidly 1

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends against routine screening in women who have never smoked (D recommendation) 1
The European Society of Cardiology recommends screening may be considered in women aged ≥75 years who are current smokers, hypertensive, or both 2