Do you know about AAA?

• Position: Neighborhood Heart Watch - Abdominal aortic aneurysm - Brief Article

Long-time Milwaukee Brewers broadcaster and baseball's resident comedian Bob Uecker is going to bat to raise awareness of the serious but silent medical condition known as abdominal aortic aneurysm, or AAA.

While pitching batting practice, Uecker suffered a pain in his back so severe that he had to lie down. The team doctor immediately ordered an advanced scan.

"The MRI scan looked like I had swallowed a cantaloupe," Uecker recalled. "It was an abdominal aortic aneurysm. I was shocked because, except for the back pain, I felt good."

Uecker's experience is typical, according to vascular disease experts. Most aneurysms, or bulges in the arterial wall, cause no symptoms, although some patients may be aware of abnormal pulsation in the mid-abdomen.

Simple exams using a common technique called Doppler ultrasound can help physicians detect and...