Updates of Recent Aortic Aneurysm Research

Aortic aneurysms in both abdominal and thoracic aortic regions have complex pathophysiological features. In recent years, a considerable increase in research on aneurysm pathogenesis has resulted in the discovery of novel mechanisms and implementation of clinical trials that seek to assess strategies for preventing aneurysm expansion. Despite progress on our understanding of aortic aneurysms, there are still many unanswered questions and conflicting findings requiring clarification. This uncertainty highlights the importance of continual cooperation between preclinical and clinical researchers in validating findings from preclinical studies to the human disease, to discover medical treatments that prevent or halt the progression of aortic aneurysmal disease. We hope that this brief review prompts interest in reading these highlighted articles and spurs further investigation into this complex and devastating disease. © 2019 American Heart Association, Inc.