The AAA Time Bomb in Your Belly

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The AAA Time Bomb in Your Belly

Here's a test that could save your life and that's so simple they're doing it at some Kmart stores. Free. You don't even have to take your clothes off. Just bare your belly (in private, not in aisle 10) while an ultrasound sensor is rubbed over your abdomen. It's checking for an AAA -- the first "A" is for "abdominal"; the second, for "aorta," the major artery that carries blood to your lower body; and the third is for "aneurysm," a weak bulge in your aorta. At least 1.2 million Americans have AAA, mostly men (though not all), mostly in their late 50s and 60s. But here's the thing: More than 1 million of those who have an AAA don't know they do. You need to find this out. Because if there's an AAA in your belly, it must be checked periodically. If that bulge stretches to about 2.5 inches in diameter, it needs repairing before it bursts, which is fatal 75 percent of the time. If you have smoked, EVER, and you're a guy aged 65 to 75, you need to be screened. You also may be at high risk if you're a man or woman over 60 with a family history of AAA or circulatory problems (high blood pressure, poor leg circulation). To find out if a Kmart near you will be one of the few offering the screening late this year, go to www.kmart.com/pharmacy. If not, and you're at risk, talk to your doc and get the test. ======== The YOU Docs -- Mike Roizen and Mehmet Oz -- are authors of the best-selling "YOU: The Owner's Manual" and "YOU: On a Diet." To submit questions and find ways to grow younger and healthier, go to www.RealAge.com, the docs' online home.