Pharmacological approaches to prevent abdominal aortic aneurysm enlargement and rupture.

Current efforts to limit the mortality from abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) are dependent on detection and elective repair. Even by conservative estimates, there are more than 300,000 undetected AAAs in the United States, most of which are small and would not require immediate intervention. Current practice following detection of a small AAA includes education, risk factor management, and serial observation.