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Older men benefit from vascular screening

Publish date: September 13, 2017
Author(s):
Mitchel L. Zoler, PhD

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VIVA results call for broader screening

Triple screening for abdominal aortic aneurysms, peripheral arterial disease, and hypertension is a good idea, and the new results from the VIVA trial serve as a call for broader screening initiatives.

Although the patients identified with one or more of the conditions screened received a relatively low rate of interventions, the program nonetheless produced a net benefit. The cost effectiveness of screening was very acceptable, and could potentially further improve if people identified with disease receive treatment sooner. The data showed a modest impact on quality of life, but the findings provided assurance that the screening program produced no excess adverse effects and no decrement in quality of life.

Dr. Andrew M. Kates of Washington University, St. Louis Mitchel L. Zoler/Frontline Medical News

Dr. Andrew M. Kates

The study was also large and had a median follow-up of more than 4 years. The results also showed the risk for overdiagnosis was no worse than is seen with breast cancer screening.

Andrew M. Kates, MD , is a cardiologist and professor of medicine at Washington University in St. Louis. He had no disclosures. He made these comments as designated discussant for the VIVA trial.


 

AT THE ESC CONGRESS 2017

BARCELONA – Population screening for abdominal aortic aneurysms, peripheral arterial disease, and hypertension targeted to men aged 65-74 years saved lives in a highly cost-effective way in a Danish randomized study of more than 50,000 men.

During a median follow-up of 4.4 years, total mortality was 7% lower among men invited for this triple-screening panel, compared with uninvited controls – a statistically significant difference achieved without causing any identified serious adverse effects. The cost ran 2,148 euro (about $2,600) per quality adjusted year, making it very “cost attractive,” Jes S. Lindholt, DMSci, said at the annual congress of the European Society of Cardiology.

Dr. Jes S. Lindholt of Odense University, Denmark Mitchel L. Zoler/Frontline Medical News

Dr. Jes S. Lindholt

Based on the news results, the Danish Health Authority will soon decide whether to add screening for abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) and peripheral arterial disease (PAD) to national screening policies, said Dr. Lindholt, professor of vascular surgery at Odense (Denmark) University Hospital. “They had delayed their decision until our results were published,” he said, adding that he expected a similar decision on expanded screening to happen in Sweden.

Dr. Lindholt also said that ongoing studies are assessing the clinical- and cost- effectiveness of screening for AAA and PAD in women in a targeted age range. But for the time being, “we believe the greatest benefit is in men.”

The Viborg Vascular (VIVA) screening trial (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00662480) randomized all 50,156 men aged 65-74 years living in the central region of Denmark to either receive an invitation to triple disease screening or to receive no invitation and form the control group. Three-quarters of those invited for screening came to screening clinics at 14 regional centers. The examinations identified an AAA in 3%, PAD in 11%, and hypertension in 10%. About a third of people identified with AAA or PAD started treatment with aspirin, a statin, or both, and a small number of those with an AAA underwent surgical repair during the following 5 years. About a third of those newly diagnosed with hypertension began treatment with antihypertensive drugs.

The results showed that for every 169 men invited for screening the program saved one life during follow-up, compared with men in the control arm. “To our knowledge, no prior population-based screening program has shown an impact on overall mortality,” Dr. Lindholt said. Concurrently with his report, the results appeared online (Lancet. 2017 Aug 28. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32250-X).

VIVA received no commercial funding. Dr. Lindholt had no disclosures.

On Twitter @mitchelzoler

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