Brighton and Sussex University Hospital Trust is carrying out a research study to investigate how surgery for abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery affects future risk of cardiovascular disease.
An abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is swelling of the main artery in the body (aorta). It is a common disease, affecting 1 in 25 men in England. Patients are offered surgery for large aneurysms as a potentially lifesaving procedure. We want to measure arterial stiffness in these patients.
Arterial stiffness is a measure of the hardening of arteries and can be used to predict the risk of suffering from cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and stroke.
The study will examine whether AAA surgery increases arterial stiffness, potentially increasing future risk of cardiovascular events. This will provide new information for patients and surgeons to help us make the best decisions about optimising care.
The SSCF are offering ongoing support to help cover the transport costs of patients who have kindly volunteered their time to participate in this research study.