AAA screening is offered to all men over the age of 64. Anyone assigned male at birth who is over the age of 64 can have it.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening is done to check if there are any swellings (aneurysms) in the main blood vessel in your tummy (abdomen), called the aorta. The aorta runs from your heart down to your abdomen.

AAA screening can help find an abdominal aortic aneurysm early. This means it can be monitored and treated, if needed, so it’s less likely to burst (rupture), which can be life threatening.

All men living in England are invited for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening the year they turn 65.

AAA screening is recommended for anyone assigned male at birth. This includes men, trans women and non-binary people.

You’ll have the AAA screening test once, unless an aneurysm is found.

Men are invited for AAA screening because they’re more likely to have an abdominal aortic aneurysm.

AAA screening is not usually offered to people with a lower risk of getting an abdominal aortic aneurysm, including:

  • men under 65
  • women
  • people who have already had treatment for an abdominal aortic aneurysm

If you’re not eligible for AAA screening but you think you’re at higher risk of getting an abdominal aortic aneurysm, talk to a GP about the possibility of getting a scan.


You may be at higher risk if:

  • people in your family have had an abdominal aortic aneurysm
  • you have high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
  • you smoke

During the year you turn 65, you’ll get a letter inviting you for a pre-booked abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening appointment.

The letter is usually sent 3 to 6 weeks before the appointment.

AAA screening usually takes place at GP surgeries or health centres, and sometimes hospitals.

If you need to change your appointment or you’ve not had an invitation letter and think you should have, contact your local AAA screening service.

It’s your choice if you want to have AAA screening. Most abdominal aortic aneurysms do not have any symptoms, so screening is the best way to find one.

Finding an abdominal aortic aneurysm reduces the chance of it bursting (rupturing), which can be life threatening.

If you do not want to have screening for AAA, call your local AAA screening service.

You can call again to ask for the screening if you decide you want to have it in the future.

The main test to find out if you have an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is an ultrasound scan of your tummy. It usually takes around 10 to 15 minutes and is painless.

A small handheld device called a probe is placed on your tummy and images of the inside of your tummy will be shown on a screen.

The medical professional doing the test will check for any bulges or swelling of the aorta.

Sometimes it may not be possible to get a clear picture of your aorta. If this happens, you may need to have another scan.

You’ll get the results of the abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening at the end of the scan. Your GP surgery will be sent the results.

If an aneurysm is not found

If you do not have an aneurysm, you do not need to do anything and will not need to have any more scans.

If an aneurysm is found

If an aneurysm is found during your scan, what happens next depends on the size of the aneurysm.

If you have a small or medium aneurysm, you’ll be offered an appointment to see a specialist nurse.

They’ll answer any questions you may have and talk to you about:

  • any medicines you may need to take
  • having your blood pressure checked more often
  • things you can do to slow down the growth of the aneurysm – such as quitting smoking if you smoke, losing weight if you’re overweight, and having a healthy, balanced diet

More information about abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening
GOV.UK: abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening
GOV.UK: abdominal aortic aneurysm screening easy guide
British Heart Foundation (BHF): abdominal aortic aneurysm

See a GP if:

  • you have tummy or back pain that does not go away or keeps coming back
  • you feel a lump in your tummy

These symptoms can be caused by lots of things and do not mean you have an abdominal aortic aneurysm, but it’s best to get them checked.

Call 999 if:

  • have sudden, severe pain in your tummy or back
  • are struggling to breathe or have stopped breathing
  • have pale or grey skin (on brown or black skin this may be easier to see on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet)
  • lose consciousness

These could be signs of an abdominal aortic aneurysm bursting (rupturing). This is a life-threatening emergency that needs to be treated in hospital as soon as possible.

The main test to find out if you have an abdominal aortic aneurysm is an ultrasound scan of your tummy.

A small device is placed on your tummy and images of the inside of your tummy will be shown on a screen.

You’ll usually be told if you have an aneurysm at the end of the test.

You’ll also be told how big it is:

  • small (3cm to 4.4cm or smaller)
  • medium (4.5cm to 5.4cm)
  • large (5.5cm or bigger)

Screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm

An ultrasound test is offered to all men when they turn 65, as they’re most at risk of getting an abdominal aortic aneurysm.

This is called abdominal aortic aneurysm screening.

Treatment for an abdominal aortic aneurysm usually depends on how big it is and if you have symptoms.

If it’s small, lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking and eating healthily may be recommended to help stop it getting bigger.

Sometimes you may need:

  • medicines to lower your blood pressure and cholesterol level, which may help stop the aneurysm getting bigger
  • surgery to reduce the risk of the aneurysm bursting – this may be done if your AAA is large (5.5cm or bigger), is quickly getting bigger or is painful

Surgery has risks and side effects which your doctor or surgeon should discuss with you.

Abdominal aortic aneurysms often get bigger over time. You’ll usually need regular scans to see if it’s getting bigger.

If your aneurysm ruptures, you’ll need emergency surgery to treat it.

Making healthy lifestyle changes can help lower your risk of getting an abdominal aortic aneurysm, or stop one from getting bigger.

DO

  • eat healthily
  • exercise regularly
  • try to lose weight if you’re overweight
  • try to cut down on alcohol

DON’T

  • do not smoke

Find out how to get help to quit smoking

An abdominal aortic aneurysm happens when the main artery that carries blood from the heart to the tummy (the aorta) becomes weakened.

It’s not always clear what causes it, but some people have a higher chance of getting one.

You’re more at risk if you:

  • are male and aged 65 or over
  • smoke or used to smoke
  • have high blood pressure
  • have high cholesterol
  • have a close relative who’s had an abdominal aortic aneurysm
  • have coronary or peripheral artery disease (atherosclerosis)
  • have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
  • have a condition such as Marfan syndrome

Sometimes an abdominal aortic aneurysm can be caused by an infection, but this is rare.