Register now: Free health screening to detect a "silent killer"

WAUWATOSA (WITI) -- They're words many people have never heard before, Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm also known as AAA. But health officials say 200,000 people are diagnosed with it each year in the U.S.

"The aorta is a big blood vessel that essentially goes all the way down from the heart through the stomach that supplies blood flow to all of the organs in the chest and abdomen," said Froedtert and Medical College of Wisconsin Vascular Surgeon Dr. Mike Malinowski.

AAA is when a portion of the aorta swells and forms a bubble of blood and if left untreated it can rupture.

"As the artery gets bigger the wall gets weaker and as it gets weaker it dilates even more," said Dr. Malinowski.

That's why Froedtert and The Medical College of Wisconsin is hosting an AAA screening event open to the public.

"It tends to be in males who are greater than 50 years of age, men who have a current history of smoking or who are smokers in the past, or folks who have family history of aneurysms," said Dr. Malinowski.

The screening is a simple ultrasound of the abdomen.

"There isn't one test that can show who is going to be predisposed to develop aneurysms throughout their life and that's why screening is such an important part for patients we believe are high risk patient populations," said Dr. Malinowski.

If AAA is detected it can be treated through a minimally invasive procedure placing a stent in the aorta.

The free screenings will take place at Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin on Saturday, May 2nd from 8 a.m. until noon. Froedtert is accepting walk-ins to the screening event. You're asked not to eat eight hours before the ultrasound. To register in advance call 414-805-9160. For more information, CLICK HERE.