In 2005, the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) recommended screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) in men aged 65.
Although death rates had been reducing, there were still as many as 3,000 deaths each year from ruptured AAAs in men aged over 65.
The NHS AAA screening programmes in the UK were implemented to reduce AAA-related deaths. Population-based ultrasound screening started in 2009, and by 2013 the screening programme was fully operational across the UK.
A review team has now studied data from the programme’s first decade – April 2013 to March 2023.
It has found that AAA screening in the UK has been effective and has contributed substantially to ongoing reductions in AAA-related deaths.
Read the full report on GOV.UK: AAA screening programmes in the UK: 10-year effectiveness review.
Read a summary of the effectiveness review together with possible actions in this British Journal of Surgery (BJS) paper: Abdominal aortic aneurysm screening: current effectiveness and future perspectives.
Key findings
Former national NHS AAA Screening Programme Director Jonothan Earnshaw (pictured) was the lead author of the AAA screening programme effectiveness review report.
Watch Jonothan summarise the findings of the effectiveness review in this short video presentation on youtube.
The review found strong evidence that the number of deaths from ruptured AAAs had halved during the programme’s first 10 years.
An updated cost-effectiveness model for the AAA screening programme showed that it remained cost-effective at the current activity levels.
When comparing international data, only Sweden and the UK showed consistent reductions in ruptured AAAs over the last 6 years. These 2 countries are the only ones with a well-established AAA screening programme.
The number of repairs of ruptured AAAs fell by over two thirds in the age group of men offered screening.
The review also highlighted potential opportunities for future changes to the screening programme that may help to maintain its effectiveness as the prevalence of AAAs decreases over time.
Future effectiveness reviews
This review has demonstrated the benefits of evaluating an existing screening programme to assess the extent to which it remains effective in the years following implementation.
The UK NSC Secretariat’s Screening Data and Effectiveness team is currently undertaking a similar review of the Infectious Diseases in Pregnancy Screening Programme, and will shortly begin a review of the Cervical Screening Programme. The aim is to put in place an ongoing programme of effectiveness reviews across all national screening programmes, and report those findings to the UK NSC so it can consider the next steps for each programme.
Thank you
This review was a collaborative piece of work, with input from stakeholders and subject matter experts across the 4 UK nations. We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who was involved with the AAA screening effectiveness review for their help and support throughout this project.
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