Original Articles
Vol. 4 No. 2 (2025)
https://doi.org/10.4081/btvb.2025.164

The role of dyslipidemia and gender-related risk factors in the management of patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms: a survey from the Italian Society of Angiology and Vascular Medicine and a call to action

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Abdominal aortic aneurysm, gender, cholesterol, statins
Published: 30 June 2025
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Authors

Martina Berteotti
martina.berteotti@unifi.it
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8281-4734
Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Florence, Italy.
Walter Ageno
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1922-8879
Research Center on Thromboembolic Diseases and Antithrombotic Therapies, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy.
Rossella Marcucci
Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Florence, Italy.
Andrea Stella
Vascular Surgery, Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, Italy.
Paolo Zamboni
Vascular Diseases Center, Hub Center for Venous and Lymphatic Diseases Regione Emilia-Romagna, Sant'Anna University Hospital of Ferrara, Italy.
Romeo Martini
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8195-0443
Unit of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, San Martino Hospital, Belluno, , Italy.

Background: abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) affects 1-3% of adults and carries a high fatality rate if ruptured. Although it is more common in men, women tend to have worse outcomes. Screening high-risk individuals is cost-effective, and lipid-lowering therapies (LLT) improve survival but are often underused, especially among women.
Methods: the Italian Society for Angiology and Vascular Medicine (SIAPAV) conducted a survey among healthcare professionals on AAA management, with a particular focus on lipid profile assessment, treatment, and gender differences.
Results: in a lipid management survey (64 respondents), most assessed lipid levels but rarely measured lipoprotein(a). Only 42.2% reported treating over 70% of their patients with statins, despite low rates of intolerance. A gender-specific survey (78 respondents) showed that women accounted for less than 20% of AAA patients, with limited evaluation of gynecological and obstetric histories, despite their importance as cardiovascular disease risk factors.
Conclusions: current guidelines recommend statins and LDL-C levels below 55 mg/dL for AAA patients; however, LLT remains underprescribed, particularly in women. These findings underscore the need for improved AAA management and greater attention to gender-specific risks, highlighting the importance of international collaboration.

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1.
Berteotti M, Ageno W, Marcucci R, Stella A, Zamboni P, Martini R. The role of dyslipidemia and gender-related risk factors in the management of patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms: a survey from the Italian Society of Angiology and Vascular Medicine and a call to action. Bleeding Thromb Vascul Biol [Internet]. 2025 Jun. 30 [cited 2025 Sep. 30];4(2). Available from: https://www.btvb.org/btvb/article/view/164
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