A national nonprofit group is offering local residents free screenings for a condition that can be a silent killer.
AAAneurysm Outreach is providing non-invasive ultrasound screenings for people who are at risk for abdominal aortic aneurysm from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at the Walgreens store located at 1130 S. Arlington St., Akron.
The screening is being offered for patients who are at higher risk for an abdominal aortic aneurysm because they are 60 or older, have a history of smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or a family history of the condition.
Advance registration is required by calling 866-371-3592 by Wednesday.
An abdominal aortic aneurysm, also called a “Triple A,” occurs when a portion of the aorta in the abdomen becomes weak or bulges, according to Dr. Dennis Wright, chief of vascular surgery at Akron General Medical Center. Wright is volunteering at the screening event.
If the weakness or bulge continues to grow and becomes larger than 5.5 centimeters, “the risk of rupture goes up relatively dramatically,” Wright said.
“It’s a condition that is oftentimes silent and is most frequently picked up either on examination or on an ultrasound or CAT scan that is being done for an entirely different reason,” he said.
If a rupture occurs, the mortality rate can be as high as 90 percent for patients who aren’t near medical care, he said. And patients who survive “have months of recovery.”
When an abdominal aortic aneurysm is discovered, the patient’s doctor can monitor its growth, manage high blood pressure and encourage activity, Wright said. If the aneurysm is large enough, a minimally invasive surgery often can be done to repair it.
For more information, visit www.aneurysmoutreach.org.
Brain injury conference
A conference for traumatic brain injury patients and their families will take place Nov. 9 at the Shaw Jewish Community Center, 750 White Pond Drive, Akron.
Registration begins at 8 a.m., followed at 9 a.m. by keynote speaker Micah Jones, founder of BI Awareness Day.
The event, planned by the Summit County Traumatic Brain Injury Collaborative, is sponsored by Mentis Neuro Rehabilitation, NeuroRestorative, Neurology & Neuroscience Associates and the Summit County Board of Mental Disabilities.
The cost is $10, which includes program materials, a continental breakfast and lunch.
For registration or for more information, call 330-572-1011, extension 147, or email tbi@nnadoc.com.
Spirituality explored
Akron General’s Integrative Medicine Committee is hosting a free community talk about the role of spirituality in healing from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday at the Akron General Health and Wellness Center-West, 4125 Medina Road, Bath Twp.
The Rev. Sandra Selby will lead the presentation.
For more information, call 330-344-6361.
Cheryl Powell can be reached at 330-996-3902 or cpowell@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow Powell on Twitter at twitter.com/abjcherylpowell.