Risk factors for abdominal aortic aneurysm formation include: smoking, increasing age, and family history. Men over the age of 65 are most commonly affected, with an abdominal aortic aneurysm present in approximately 1%. As the condition is normally asymptomatic, most patients have their aneurysms discovered through the screening programme or incidentally via other imaging investigations. Patients with a new diagnosis of an abdominal aortic aneurysm should be referred to their local vascular service.