4.79 cm - Female Age 59

I am 63 with 4.3 aortic root. I am scheduled for CT every 6 months. I have one of the best Surgeons in AZ. He told me the aneurysm may not grow..I have also had an Echocardiogram ordered by my regular cardiologist = 4.3CM This was after the CT indicated 4.9CM. Interestimg yes. There is more. I had to get a pacemaker installed because heart rate was dropping below 30. When I was test 1st echocardiogram in prep for pacemaker there was not aneurysm that could be seen. This was one year before the CT. They both tell me 4.3 is not cause for surgery. They both indicate I am ok to workout lifting weights ….not heavy And ride my mountain bike +I asked about the different measurements. I’m told these tests are not 100% accurate based on the angle of the view at the time. I would argue it’s possible your aneurysm did not grow. However I would weigh on the side of caution of course. My doctors told me to lose 15-20 pounds, eat right, rest, watch my blood pressure, and lower stress. . I am 5,11.. 215 so I need to be 190-195. No Eliquis or other blood thinners for the reason stated regarding fears of rupture/bleeding but I’m not experiencing Afib. I also experience fullness maybe pressure in my chest at the base of my neck. Some back pain but it could be Barretts and or Gerd. It is not fun. I was freaked out for the first cousin months but I have accepted and chosen to live me life. I’m may have a completely different attitude after my CT. I hate the thought of needing open heart surgery. I have worked out my entire life. Maybe I’m in denial. The gentlemen that mention rupture…..really made me think. My advise is follow what your doctor tells you. Set up regular appointments and try not to worry too much. God bless.

Thank you for the response. Great information. So interesting. These tests are clearly not always accurate, but yes, I agree to err on the side of caution. My EF (ejection fraction) for my heart I was once told was 35% which is not good. Should be about 55%. Then within 6 mos I had another test, same test, that said it was 50%. I've been thru my share of cardiologists and still don't have the one I feel I can trust. She doesn't even look at me when seeing her. She stands at her computer and types. I've not had a ultrasound of my heart in about 1.5 years as I was in somewhat denial and didn't want to know. I am seeing her on Sept 4th and was told to schedule test prior so we will have results on my visit. I was also told I could lift weights. Never told a max weight which I've heard from others, lift no more than 10 lbs, and others say no more than 30 lbs. I too, just came to the decision that I'm going to live my life the best I can and rely on my faith in God. He has the power, and my destiny is in His hands. I can't sit back and feel sorry for myself. Like you, the chest pressure and back at times can be cause for concern but then it also might be stress, or muscular-skeletal from who knows what. I will take your advice and get tested every 6 mos as suggested. I can't keep putting it off. Interesting that they didn't see your aneurysm on echo. Odd, huh? Again, thank you very much for the response. Feel free to keep in touch. I wish you good health--despite all. God bless you!

I would counter to you that the outcome will not be grim. I was diagnosed last year with an ascending aneurysm of 5.4cm which prompted surgery. Yes, I was anxious but my surgeon was confident and did a great job. I'd recommend staying in shape and have that aneurysm checked on a regular basis. If it grows >5cm, then get it fixed. I can attest that recovery after the procedure was tough but at 14 weeks post op, I am back doing everything I did before... and with a lot less worry that I will keel over dead unexpectedly.

Just to help ease your mind I’m also on eliquis and my cardiologist told me they currently have a reversal drug for eliquis andexanet alpha .

Happy to hear your surgery went well. Thank you for the response. I read that after the repair your life expectancy shortens. Is that true? I need to find a surgeon. I'm in Seattle. I'm thinking I may have to travel to a Mayo Clinic for surgery.

Really? I had heard that it was in the works but have not heard anything more. Great to hear. Thank you!

I am not sure about life expectancy but there are lots of papers documenting the survival rates from similar procedures. One thing to note is that without the surgery, your life expectancy will likely be diminished, so bear that in mind. As for surgeons, mine did a great job but he is in Denver at St. Anthony's hospital. The Mayo has exceedingly good surgeons, so good luck.

Hi, I'm reading your post and have a question for you. I am newly diagnosed and have been an athlete all my life. I am sad about not being able to work out like I used to. Can I run? Many people on this thread say to keep pulse under 120/130 bpm. Has your running and/or lifting caused any significant growth in your AA? For the record, I was just diagnosed with an ascending TAA of 4.3cm. Al
so, what is INR? TIA

One of the frustrating things regarding exercise and thoracic aneurysms is that there seems to be very little in the way of solid guidance. I suppose it's because everyone's physical fitness is different, our aneurysms are of different sizes, locations, and shapes, and hard and fast rules are tough to establish. The one that I hear everywhere is don't let your blood pressure spike, so no heavy weight lifting, nothing that makes you grunt and hold your breath. Regarding running, I've heard the same thing as you, keep your heart rate in the 120s and 130s. I have a couple of 4 mile loops in my neighborhood, so I've been walking the first mile, jogging the next two (ten minute mile pace) and then walking the last one. As a reference, I used to run 5-6 miles at an 8:20 pace with a heart rate in the 150s. I blame metoprolol for slowing me down so much but then I'm getting older, too. My aneurysm has been stable at 4.8cm for a couple of years, so my exercising does not appear to have had an impact there. Maybe I could push my exercise routine a bit more, but I have decided to err on the side of caution.

The INR you asked about stands for International Normalized Ratio, a way of measuring blood clotting. One "gift" I got from a mitral valve replacement four years ago is a combination of arrythmia and afib, so I am on a blood thinner (Coumadin) to avoid clots and, hopefully, a stroke. I think a normal INR is around 1.0, give or take a tenth, but they want mine to be between 2.0 and 3.0. I require a monthly check to ensure it's within range. It sounds like thankfully that's not a concern for you.

I joined three Facebook groups you might want to check out: Aortic Athletes, Cardiac Athletes, and Aortic Hope. There are some inspirational stories on them as well as tips that I have found helpful.

Thanks so much. Everyone has been so kind and helpful on this site. It is making a really difficult time a little brighter. Have a great day! ~S