The National Institute For Health and Care Research (NIHR) funded a research study to explore anxiety caused by having an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm, and whether and how to be discharged from having regular scans (surveillance) if an AAA stays small.
This research was completed in September 2025. It focused on the NHS AAA Screening Programme only.
The NHS AAA Screening Programme only screens men aged 65 and above because they have the highest risk of an AAA.
Men and women have regular scans to monitor their AAA outside the NHS Screening Programme but the research did not focus on them.
Click on the documents below for a summary for the research and findings.
Find out if men are anxious and what they want to help them address their concerns. Men and their families said they had lots of questions about AAA and screening for AAA. A lack of information can make people feel anxious.
Click on the documents below for a copy of an Information Booklet the NIHR wrote with men and their family members to answer their questions. This research was led by the University of Sheffield with team members of clinicians, patients and family members from around England.
