Because heart disease is not a distant concern, especially the condition of a large bulging artery or aortic aneurysm (Aortic Aneurysm) which often shows no symptoms, by the time one becomes aware, it could be severe enough to be life-threatening. Therefore, on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day which falls on May 31st of every year, I want everyone to take care of their heart to keep it strong, especially the large arteries that are the blood vessels leading to various vital organs of the body that need to be protected from deterioration

            
The Importance of the Large Artery

The large artery or aorta (Aorta) is the blood vessel that carries high-pressure blood from the heart to various vital organs such as the heart, brain, spinal cord, arms, legs, liver, kidneys, intestines, etc. Therefore, if there is any abnormality in the large artery, in addition to having a negative impact on the body’s organs, bulging could lead to death.

Causes of Large Arterial Bulging

Large arterial bulging occurs due to abnormalities of the arteries in the chest or abdominal area, more common in men than women, and can occur due to various reasons, such as

1. Degradation of the large artery wall, which arises from factors that can easily cause degradation of the large artery wall, including
   • Increasing age
   • Smoking
   • Family history of large arterial bulging
   • High blood pressure
   • High cholesterol
2. Diseases of abnormal tissue such as Marfan Syndrome, a genetic disorder that affects the connective tissue. If the symptoms affect the large artery, it may cause the artery to bulge.
3. Diseases that cause inflammation of the large artery wall are divided into two types: inflammation caused by autoimmune disorders such as Takayasu’s, Giant cell arteritis, Polyarteritis nodosa, Behcet’s, Cogans’, and inflammation caused by infections such as tuberculosis, syphilis, etc.
4. Accidents, such as accidents leading to severe impacts that cause the artery walls to become abnormally thin and bulge.

Symptoms

People with large arterial bulging often show no advance symptoms. Symptoms indicating the presence of large arterial bulging depend on the location, either in the chest or abdomen, leading to compression of the artery against adjacent organs, such as compressing the esophagus, abdominal pain, compressing the trachea, difficulty breathing, etc., and a lump may also be palpable in the abdominal area. However, if symptoms include chest tightness, back pain, dizziness, unconsciousness, coughing blood, one should immediately see a cardiologist.
 

Preventable only by checkup

The most effective prevention of large arterial bulging is to screen people who are at risk of arterial deterioration early by physical examination along with additional tests. For the chest area, a CT Scan is recommended, and for the abdominal area, ultrasound is recommended.

Those who should get tested include:

• Men over 65 who have smoked at least once in their life, have a family history or direct relatives who have died from large arterial bulging should get tested immediately.
• People younger than 65 but have other risk factors such as genetics, Marfan Syndrome should get screened quickly.

Keep Your Heart Strong

Ways to keep your heart healthy and away from large arterial bulging include:

• Avoid high-sodium, very salty, very sweet, fried, or fatty foods.
• Regular moderate exercise, such as jogging, swimming, brisk walking.
• Avoid stress and live a happy life.
• Quit and stop smoking.

People who are not at risk of large arterial bulging should have an annual health check to detect any abnormalities in the body and respond promptly. An important thing that helps keep the heart strong, Dr. Atthaphoom Suwattanarat, Assistant Director of Bangkok Heart Hospital and Heart and Chest Surgeon, says, “Live a happy life, avoid stress, exercise regularly, abstain from smoking, engage in joyful activities, choose foods that are good for the body to keep blood pressure from rising so that the heart remains happy as well.”