Health Promotion and Maintenance Q 112

---

Which of the following conditions is linked to more than 50% of clients with abdominal aortic aneurysms?

  

     A. DM

     B. HPN

     C. PVD

     D. Syphilis

    

    

Correct Answer: B. HPN

---

Continuous pressure on the vessel walls from hypertension causes the walls to weaken and an aneurysm to occur. The association between hypertension and AAA could potentially be confounded by other risk factors because hypertension is more common among persons with overweight and obesity, less physical activity, who smoke and who have unhealthy diets.

---

Option A: Diabetes mellitus doesn’t have a direct link to an aneurysm. Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a strong cardiovascular risk factor; however, multiple epidemiological studies have confirmed that a negative relationship exists between DM and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) presence, growth, and rupture. Arteries from patients with DM are often harder and more calcified than those from patients without DM; however, increased vessel wall calcification alone does not appear to explain the reduced rate of aortic expansion seen in diabetic patients.

Option C: Atherosclerotic changes can occur with peripheral vascular diseases and are linked to aneurysms, but the link isn’t as strong as it is with hypertension.

Option D: Only 1% of clients with syphilis experience an aneurysm. Classically, syphilitic aneurysms occur in 90% of cases on the thoracic aorta, and in 10% in the abdominal aorta [3, 7–9]. Infection of the aortic wall develops during the secondary or bacteremic phase of syphilis, having a latent period from infection until the clinical presentation ranging from 5 to 50 years.

---