The molecular mechanism behind abdominal aneurysms

When the artery that supplies the stomach and the liver forms a bulge that ruptures, this medical emergency results in the deaths of 50 percent of patients before they reach the hospital. This “silent killer” condition, known as abdominal aortic aneurysm, led to the death of Albert Einstein—and is responsible for nearly 5,000 deaths in the U.S. each year. Now researchers have found new clues that eventually could lead to earlier detection methods to save lives in the future.