If you're a man 60 or older with high blood pressure who smoked - even if you've quit - you may run a higher risk of a balloonlike swelling in the aorta, the large vessel that carries blood away from the heart.
The test to get:
Your doctor will perform an ultrasound to detect an abdominal aortic aneurysm, or AAA, as it's often referred to.
If an AAA is found, you might need surgery, depending on its size and growth rate.