Smoking is an important risk factor for abdominal aortic aneurysm. Lim
iting the growth rate of small aneurysms has the potential to prevent
them reaching a size at which surgical repair is considered. In 43 pat
ients, with small aneurysms, growth rates were studied by serial ultra
sound over 3 years. The median expansion rate of these small aneurysms
was 0.13 cm per year. Growth rates were higher in those who continued
to smoke (0.16 vs 0.09 cm per year in those who no longer smoked, p =
0.038). Higher growth rates were significantly correlated with the co
ncentration of serum cotinine. Stopping smoking could reduce the growt
h rate of small abdominal aortic aneurysms.