Objective: To identify normal aortic diameters in elderly Saudi people
aged 60-80 years. Setting: A prospective screening programme by ultra
sound for abdominal aortic aneurysm in elderly people carried out in t
he Jeddah area, Saudi Arabia. Subjects: The subjects were 392 consecut
ive candidates attending a clinic for other reasons. Design: Aortic di
ameter at suprarenal (just above origin of renal artery) mid-aorta and
just above bifurcation were measured ultrasonologically by a qualifie
d radiologist. Results: Average mean for whole group was 1.80 +/- 0.02
SD; males have wider aorta (mean = 1.82 cm +/- 0.25 SD) compared with
female (mean = 1.71 cm +/- 0.25 SD); wider diameters were also noted
in smokers (p value = 0.05). Conclusion: Overall Saudi aortic diameter
are smaller than European diameters.