Dyslipidemia and abdominal aortic aneurysm: another piece of the puzzle?

The underlying cause of aneurysmal aortic dilation is uncertain in most patients. It is unclear whether atherosclerosis causes aneurysmal disease or vice versa, while familial clusters are suggestive of a possible genetic predisposition. The data obtained from well-designed molecular and clinical studies support a multifactorial, systemic, nonatherosclerotic causal hypothesis, such as a defect in vascular structural proteins, with atherosclerosis occurring as a secondary process.