An ultrasound screening for abdominal aortic aneurysms is recommended by the medical advisory group, U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, for all men ages 65 to 75 who have ever smoked.

Finding aneurysms early and repairing them, can cut the death rate at least by a sixth. Although the surgery itself carries up to a 15 percent risk for causing death, the risk that a large aneurysm will suddenly rupture and kill the patient is much greater.

Screening is also recommended for both males and females who have a family history of aneurysms by age 50, whether they have smoked or not. Under the new guidelines proposed by the task force, only men ages 65 to 75 who have smoked will be covered by Medicare.

If you fall into a high risk group, Dr. Khoynezhad recommends patients be screened in their early to mid 60s. If aneurysms run in a patient's family or they have an inherited condition, they should be screened in their mid-30s to age 40. While some aortic aneurysms can be found by a chest X-ray or ultrasound, a CAT scan is the most accurate test to detect an aneurysm.