Uppsala Universitet - Institutionen för Kirurgiska Vetenskaper Uppsala, Sweden Uppsala Universitet - Institutionen för Kirurgiska Vetenskaper Uppsala, Sweden.
In a recent publication in The Lancet Johansson and colleagues claim no effect on aneurysm mortality among men participating in the Swedish AAA screening program, and question its justification. The study is, however, limited by a corrupt study design and incorrect data, making the publication misleading. On the contrary, several RCTs and contemporary nationwide data with sufficient follow-up clearly show that AAA screening saves lives and is highly cost-effective. The program has so far identified about 6000 men with an AAA, of whom 1500 have been operated on to prevent rupture. Thus, more than 750 men have experienced a longer life (by a mean of 8 years) as a result of the program. Continuous evaluation of the program is important but requires a scientifically sound methodology.
Notes
CommentOn: Lancet. 2018 Jun 16;391(10138):2441-2447 PMID 29916384