am I exercising too much with a 4.3 ascending aortic aneurysm?

I am Female, age 79. I have an ascending aortic aneurysm, diagnosed in 2007 at 3.8. It is now 4.2. These things are often slow growing. My only exercise limitation has been to lift no more than 25 lbs.

I believe the aneurysm is considered for surgery when it is in the 5 to 6 cm range. This surgery is huge and the surgery itself has risks. I would not consider pushing for surgery before the aneurysm has become life threatening.

I personally think being near an ER is wishful thinking. I understand if the aneurysm is going to burst, that is the end. But the likelihood of it bursting before it gets in the 5 to 6 cm range is rare.

I suggest doing some on-line research at NIH, Mayo, Cleveland Clinic, Cornell Weill websites and then making another appointment with your cardio to discuss your questions and personal situation.

It’s a tough question to answer because it’s all about whether or not you want to risk being out in the middle of nowhere when you’re Aorta dissects. if it were me, I would stop running and get the earliest surgical appointment to have open-heart surgery to get it repaired. Given the fact that you are 71, you are in great shape, I think that the surgery is worth it. It is much easier to deal with in a non-emergent situation Like you have right now. If your aorta blows, you’re not likely to survive it if you are not in an emergency room or very very very close to one. If you are in Rochester across the street from Mayo, you’ve got a chance. If you are in the suburbs and an hour from the nearest High-end cardiac center. Well, I think your chances are pretty low. I have had an emergency full dissection in San Diego California in 2015. I was 50 years old and overweight and hypertensive. It was an absolute personal and professional disaster. Most people who survive a complete dissection , which is a very small percentage, never go back to work. I can tell you that almost 9 years out I think about it every day and I make an effort to be extra kind to my wife and kids who suffered terribly in that experience. If you are a single person and you’ve got all of your will, power of attorney and healthcare directives put together than I guess you should do whatever makes you happiest. But, if you are married and have a family, which you love, I think it would be Whoo you to think seriously about having corrective surgery at if you’re re a candidate. I am very glad that I survived, but never a day passes where I don’t think about the fact that I am incredibly lucky to have made it. I was in a major metropolitan area on a quiet evening, where the on-call surgeon had 40 years of experience. You might not be that lucky so I really, encourage you to think about what’s important to you. If running is the only thing that matters, then I guess you run. But if you have other things that takes precedent in your life it may be time to slow down. I’d be happy to talk with you directly if you want to email me your contact information. Pete pbarry@lawpoint.com

71 yr old Male 185 #
Just discovered a 4.5 acceding aneurysm
No issue … had a check up due to my brother’s heart issue with one.
Been tri runner and hiker all my life
Planned on 100 miler on AT
Doc said should ( should!!) be ok but know where nearest ER is if needed !
What to di … or what to not do !!!!
100 miler canceled …. No ER’s on remote trails !
Confused with all the dos and don't !!!!
Thats for all the comments ….
Still trying to figure out and modify hiking or walking distance
I now walk about 6-6 mikes a day …. Before Doctor visit !!

What size aneurysm?

I am really glad for you. I hope you can keep thriving!!!

Hi yes it’s basically the same. I am now on yearly ultrasound scans because I insisted on them. They are less stressful on the body. Still biking, running and strength training but yes, I do not strain. They are more worried about the bicuspid aortic valve getting thickened and not working properly, so I will have scans, yearly or every six months if it starts to thicken up. But yes, it was difficult for the first while but now I am living life to the fullest.

Hello my friend. I am 28 years old and i got diagnised with a 4.2 ascendes aorta. I got tested for no reason. My uncle is a heart doctor. When he diagnosed me i got really worried. He also told me that he has seen many weighr lifters and football players with a slightly dialated aorta. After a while i called him again and told him that i am having oanick attacks because of what he told me. Hw told me to keep calm and if i would like to take a CT scan with contrast to eliminate my fear. I did. My scan showed my aorta at 4.16 cm with no signs of rapturing. My aorta walls were really fine. Hw told me to keep living life and keep lifting but to be careful not to strain too much cause in general it's bad for you. I got an echo 6 months later. Still the same. The only thing now to do is to have an echo every 6 months and a scan once a year. How was your exoerience? What have you done? Is it still the same for you?

Thank you Donna for this information. My doctors didn't make an issues out of mine 4.1 and I didn't know that the measurement is actually the size of the aorta not the bulge. So I can see where they are saying not very large but rather smaller.

Hi Kmailloux, my wife just discovered this blog and encouraged me to join and share. In late 2019 I had an MTB accident and broke my leg, during the surgery prep they discovered I had a 5.2 cm ascending aortic aneurysm also linked to a biscupid aortic valve, I was 54 years old then and exercised often (not as much as you) and in very good physical shape. My aneurysm was already within the size to consider surgery, there’s also a genetic factor in my family that makes us vulnerable somehow to getting aneurysms, and in some cases they have ruptured, none aortic though. I spoke with a surgeon and a cardiologist (awesome both) who specializes on aneurysms and their relationship to bicuspid valves. My surgeon told me that based on my physical fitness and overall health the surgery would be minimum risk, and I could return to my normal life, it could not be done immediately since my leg had to heal enough to allow me to walk after heart surgery. I made my mind immediately, the stress of knowing what I had was unbearable, every time I felt a little pain in my chest I jumped, they were all mainly muscular. I had my repair surgery in early 2020, and as my surgeon said, it went with no issues. Not going to minimize it, it is painful (not as much as the leg fracture though) and as I was recovering there were moments I felt the worst I felt in my life, but I was out of the hospital in less than a week and back to work in 3. I work out with no restrictions except the ones left by the leg fracture (hard to run, but I continue biking). Surgery is a personal choice but thought I’d shared if you ever consider it. I see my cardiologist every year mainly to monitor the bicuspid valve, at some point it will have to be replaced, in some cases that cannot happen endovascularly if the aneurysm is still there. My valve was still in good shape when I had the surgery so they left it knowing they if/when it needed to be replaced it could be done by catheter.

Donna, I appreciate your Kind words & Positive Encouragement … Have a Happy Holiday Season…. Thank you Ken