Ascending Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms in a Veterans Affairs Health System: Longitudinal Outcomes and Risk Factors.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The decision to perform ascending thoracic aortic aneurysm (ATAA) repair is primarily guided by diameter thresholds, but the optimal timing remains debated. We aimed to analyze ATAA outcomes in a large cohort of veterans.

Methods

Retrospective cohort study of patients with ATAA with diameter≥4.0 cm under surveillance between 1998 and 2024. Outcomes included surgical repair, all-cause mortality, and aortic events. Fine-Gray competing risks regression evaluated the association of baseline diameter with all-cause mortality, adjusting for age, hypertension, smoking, heart failure, and aortic valve phenotype. Results are reported as adjusted subdistribution hazard ratios (aSHRs) with 95% CIs.

Results

We included 764 veterans (98.0% male) with median (interquarti

SUBMITTER: Gomez A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12919491 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature