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Press Releases Stoate welcomes promise of screening for Triple As
Press Releases Stoate welcomes promise of screening for Triple As
| Monday, 07 January 2008 | |
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Stoate welcomes promise of screening for Triple As Dartford MP, Dr Howard Stoate, has welcomed the announcement by the Government this week that screening for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms (AAA) is to be rolled out over the next five years for all men aged 65 and over.The MP, who is the Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Men’s Health, has been campaigning for AAA screening for older men in Parliament for a number of years. He has tabled a series of parliamentary motions and questions on the subject and led a parliamentary debate on the need for a comprehensive screening programme for older men just over 2 years ago. “I’m absolutely delighted with this decision. Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms are one of the most common causes of death among older men, yet they are relatively easy to prevent if they are picked up in time through screening. This announcement will save thousands of lives and is excellent news for older men,” said Dr Stoate. “AAAs are usually symptomless until they burst and in most cases you die without knowing what happened. Only 20% of people survive if an aneurysm bursts. The few who survive the major emergency operation that is then required will then spend a long period in a hospital’s intensive care unit. If an aneurysm is picked up during a routine scan on the other hand, a relatively straightforward operation to repair the aorta can be performed, which has a 94% success rate,” added the MP. “Research suggests that AAA deaths could be halved by introducing screening nationwide. As well as being a very accurate and reliable test, it is also relatively inexpensive: a UK wide programme will only cost between £6-10 million a year to operate. Furthermore, the test itself very easy to carry out and once someone has been screened, the vast majority will be clear for life – they will not need to be checked again.” Notes An abdominal Aortic Aneurysm is a bubble type swelling in the wall of the body’s main blood vessel as it passes through the abdomen. Those most at risk of an aneurysm are older men, especially those who smoke or those who have high blood pressure or who have conditions like angina. AAAs are extremely rare in women and younger men which is why it is not thought cost-effective to screen either. The test for a Triple A is an ultrasound scan, the same process as is used to examine pregnant women. A single professional with a portable scanner would be able to screen approximately 10 people an hour. |
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© 2008 Dr Howard Stoate - Member of Parliament for Dartford
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