Font Size

Aneurysm, Brain (cont.)

At this time doctors do not recommend screening family members for aneurysms that show no symptoms.
- If you have 1 close family member who has had a rupture of an aneurysm, your lifetime risk of a ruptured aneurysm is about 1% at age 50 years and 2% at age 70 years.
- The risk of surgery to repair an aneurysm that exists but has no symptoms is 2-5%, which is clearly greater than the risk of hemorrhage into the brain for such people.
Screening is recommended for families who show no symptoms but who have 2 members with a ruptured aneurysm.
- Siblings over age 30 years are at particularly high risk and should be screened.
- Current recommendations are that family members have an MRI angiography or helical CT angiography every 5 years.
The major modifiable risk factors for rupture of an aneurysm are the following. You can influence 2 of these directly. In cooperation with your doctor, you nearly always can control your blood pressure as well.
- Do not smoke cigarettes.
- Control high blood pressure.
- Avoid binge drinking.
- Additionally, the use of amphetamines (speed), cocaine, and even most medications for the common cold can all dramatically increase blood pressure and increase the risk of rupture in people with brain aneurysms.