N E W S

Vol 13, No. 1        LINCARE is a National Supplier of Home
Fall '00                Oxygen and Respiratory Therapy Services

Alzheimer's (cont.)

     In the study, a team of researchers at Elan Corp. tried to trick the immune system of the mice to recognize amyloid as a foreign substance that should be attacked.  When the mouse brains were dissected after a year, the researchers were surprised to find no or very small plaque deposits in the injected mice, while the unvaccinated mice had extensive deposits.
   Elan want to start trials with people this year.

                                  - USA Today,
July 8, 1999

What is an Aneurysm?

   An aneurysm is a bulge in the wall of an artery.  Aneurysms usually occur in areas already weakened by arteriosclerosis.   The blood pressure inside the artery causes the weakened area to balloon outward.   The most common type of aneurysm involves the aorta, the major artery supplying blood from the heart to the rest of the body.  Although aortic aneurysms can develop anywhere along the length of the aorta, the most common occur in the part that runs through the abdomen.  Large clots may also develop in the aneurysm and spread along the wall of the artery.
   High blood pressure and smoking increase the risk of developing an aneurysm.   But injury, inflammatory diseases of the aorta, and certain connective tissue diseases can also increase the risk.  Aneurysms that develop in other arteries may be due to an inherited weakness in that particular location.  Infections in the arterial wall may cause an aneurysm.  Such infections often start in one of the heart valves.   Aneurysms can also occur in the brain.
  

   A pulsing sensation in the abdomen may be the first sign of aortic aneurysm.   But some people have no symptoms at all.  Their aneurysms are found during routine physical examinations or when x-rays are taken for another reason.   Ultrasound scans can show how large the aneurysm is.  Computer tomography (CT) scans, using contrast dye, are even more accurate, but they are costly.
   If there's pain with an aortic aneurysm, it's generally felt as a Severe, penetrating pain in the back.  Unfortunately, pain may be a late clue indicating that the aneurysm is advanced and in danger of bursting.  The first sign of bursting (rupture) is usually excruciating pain in the lower abdomen and back.  A ruptured aortic aneurysm is a true medical emergency.  In can cause severe internal bleeding and rapid death from shock due to blood loss.
   Unless the aneurysm has burst, treatment depends on its size.   Doctors usually recommend that a person have surgery if the aneurysm is wider than 2 inches.  Aneurysms are repaired by means of a synthetic graft to replace the weakened area of the vessel wall.  If the aneurysm has burst or is threatening to, immediate surgery is vital.

- Heart Care Health Monitor
        Vol. 4, No.3, May/June 99

"If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten"

- Anonymous

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