Prevalence of and risk factors for intracranial aneurysms

Outcome after aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage has improved slightly during the past few decades; the incidence of subarachnoid haemorrhage has also decreased slightly and the mean age of patients has increased by 10 years. 1 Nieuwkamp DJ Setz LE Algra A Linn FH de Rooij NK Rinkel GJ Changes in case fatality of aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage over time, according to age, sex, and region: a meta-analysis. Lancet Neurol. 2009; 8: 635-642 Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (887) Google Scholar The prevalence of aneurysms and risk factors for their formation and rupture might therefore have changed over time. In this issue of The Lancet Neurology, Monique Vlak and colleagues 2 Vlak MHM Algra A Brandenburg R Rinkel GJE Prevalence of unruptured intracranial aneurysms, with emphasis on sex, age, comorbidity, country, and time period: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Neurol. 2011; (published online June 3.)https://doi.org/10.1016/S1474-4422(11)70109-0 Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (1191) Google Scholar report the results of an updated meta-analysis of the prevalence of unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs), providing new data on prevalence and how it might be affected by variables such as time period, age, sex, family history, and comorbidities. Prevalence of unruptured intracranial aneurysms, with emphasis on sex, age, comorbidity, country, and time period: a systematic review and meta-analysisThe prevalence of UIAs is higher in patients with ADPKD or a positive family history of intracranial aneurysm of subarachnoid haemorrhage than in people without comorbidity. In Finland and Japan, the higher incidence of subarachnoid haemorrhage is not explained by a higher prevalence of UIAs, implicating higher risks of rupture. Full-Text PDF