Newswise — The Mount Sinai Medical Center today drafted baseball legend Yogi Berra to lead an effort to call attention to the danger of abdominal aortic aneurysms, a little-recognized silent killer that takes thousands of lives each year and numbers among its victims the likes of Albert Einstein, comedienne Lucille Ball and actor George C. Scott.
"I'm joining the Mount Sinai team to let everyone know there's a simple test that can tell them if they have trouble they don't know about," said Yogi, as the hospital marked Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Awareness Day, designated in a proclamation from New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
"We're very pleased that Mayor Bloomberg and Yogi Berra have joined our efforts to get out the word about the danger of abdominal aortic aneurysms, and the quick, easy test that's available to identify that danger," said Kenneth L. Davis, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Mount Sinai Medical Center and Dean of Mount Sinai School of Medicine.
Abdominal aortic aneurysms are an abnormal weakness and bulging of the lower portion of the aorta, the major artery from the heart, which can burst without warning and result in life-threatening bleeding. Ruptured aortic aneurysms take as many as 15-thousand lives each year and are the 15th leading cause of death in the United States. Those at highest risk are people age 60 and above, particularly men.
People with abdominal aortic aneurysms often show no symptoms prior to a rupture, but the life-threatening danger can be detected through a simple, painless, five-minute ultrasound examination.
"Ultrasound screening can detect this problem early when we can repair it using minimally-invasive surgery," said Michael L. Marin, MD, FACS, Chairman of the Ruth J. and Maxwell Hauser and Harriet and Arthur H. Aufses, Jr. MD, Department of Surgery at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. "Three-quarters of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms are fatal, but more than nine out of ten that are detected through screenings are treatable."
Dr. Marin has been instrumental in advancing the state-of-the-art in the minimally invasive treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms and under his leadership Mount Sinai's program for diagnosing and treating the problem has grown to become the busiest of its kind in the nation.
Mount Sinai Offers Free Screenings
Those at highest risk of abdominal aortic aneurysms are people " especially men " who:
* Are age 60 or above* Have Cardiovascular Disease* Are Smokers* Have lung disease* Have a family history of the problem
Because of the importance of identifying the problem early, Mount Sinai is offering two days of free abdominal aortic aneurysm screenings --by appointment-- on February 19 and 26, 2005. Screenings must be scheduled in advance by calling 1-800-MD-SINAI (1-800-637-4624).
As reported this month in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has just issued a recommendation that all men ages 65 to 75 who have ever smoked undergo an ultrasound screening test for abdominal aortic aneurysm. The Task Force is an independent panel of medical experts whose recommendations help set government policy. Among those serving on the panel is Albert I. Siu, MD, MSPH, the Ellen and Howard Katz Professor of Geriatrics and Chairman of the Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Adult Development at Mount Sinai School of Medicine.
The Mount Sinai Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Awareness initiative and screenings are supported, in part, by an educational grant from Medtronic.
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Awareness Press Conference
WHAT:
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Awareness Day
Announcement of Free Ultrasound Screenings for little-recognized condition that takes 15-thousand lives each year.
WHO: Yogi BerraBaseball Hall-of-Famer
Dr. Michael MarinChairman, Department of Surgery Mount Sinai School of Medicine WHY:
Abdominal aortic aneurysms are an abnormal weakness and bulging of the lower portion of the aorta, the major artery from the heart, which can burst without warning and result in severe bleeding which is fatal in 75% of patients.
People with abdominal aortic aneurysms often show no symptoms prior to a rupture, but the life-threatening danger can be detected through a simple, painless, five-minute ultrasound examination.
WHERE: The Mount Sinai HospitalHatch Conference Room BGuggenheim Pavilion " 2nd Floor1468 Madison Ave. (at 100th St.)Manhattan WHEN:Tuesday, February 15, 200511:00 a.m. (Sharp!)
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