An observational study in Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Without Rupture, Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm, Ruptured and Aortic Aneurysm, sponsored by Karolinska University Hospital. Enrolling by invitation at 2 sites in Sweden. Open to participants aged 50 Years to 80 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-04-08.
Sponsored by Karolinska University Hospital · Observational
The overall objective of the POP-STAR project is individualized surveillance for patients diagnosed with abdominal aortic aneurysms by means of more precise, patient-specific AAA growth prediction.
Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA, ICD10 I71.4) are asymptomatic dilatations of the infrarenal aorta (≥3cm) with potential to rupture. This multifactorial disease is known to be caused by the progressive degradation of the aortic wall. AAAs have life-threatening consequences in the event of rupture (rAAA): the mortality is 100% if left untreated. The risk of rupture is closely related to the size of the AAA. When a patient is diagnosed with an AAA, life-long surveillance is initiated with regular ultrasound or computed tomography (CT) scans performed at vascular services. Prophylactic surgery is performed when the risk of rupture exceeds the risk of treatment: according to international guidelines, surgical evaluation and repair is indicated at a threshold of 55 mm (50 mm in women) to avoid rupture and subsequent death.
The mortality after planned, elective AAA repair is estimated at 1.5%. By contrast, the mortality after emergency surgery for rAAA reaches 30%. As such, there is much to be gained by early identification of AAAs to enable timely intervention and reduce aneurysm-related morbidity and mortality in the population. The important non-modifiable risk factors for developing the disease include male sex, smoking, high age and family history of AAA. Since 2006, one-time ultrasound screening for AAAs among elderly men has been gradually introduced in Sweden - the programme reached nationwide coverage in 2015. A prevalence of 1.4-2.0% has been recorded in the screened population and an overall reduction of 40% in aneurysm-related death has been demonstrated (annual decline in aneurysm-related mortality of 4%). It is not, however, cost-efficient to screen the female population due to low prevalence and high age at onset of disease.
Previous investigations have indicated that 10-25% of all patients admitted for rupture were already known by the health care system but were subsequently lost to follow-up. Importantly, some large aneurysms never rupture while some small aneurysms (\<55 mm) unpredictably do so - in the randomized controlled trial of UKSAT, an annual rupture risk of 1% was documented for small AAAs.
Despite these shortcomings at a patient-specific level, there is still only one verified measure, the diameter, for evaluating growth, risk of rupture and indication for surgery. Consequently, the current follow-up protocol for AAA patients is generalized and fails to consider factors such as age, female sex, smoking, aneurysm morphology and lung function impairment. The major challenge within the field is risk assessment with high precision in order to provide treatment for the right patient and the right time.
The standard surveillance entails repeated diameter measurements: the larger the aneurysm, the shorter the control intervals. The POP-STAR project explores new methods of AAA surveillance by prospective data collection comprising of patient demographics, radiological properties and follow-up information on patients diagnosed with AAAs. All patients will be subjected to standard care flow - POP-STAR adds patient risk profiling and scheduled imaging follow-up. The goal is to be able to characterize the radiological and biomechanical profiles of AAAs for accurate risk stratification, ultimately aiming at individualized AAA patient care.
467 studies on the registry are indexed under Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal; 99 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 400 is above the median of 165 across 217 observational studies indexed under Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal.
Browse Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal studies →Karolinska University Hospital is the lead sponsor of 279 studies on the registry; 55 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
All men and women diagnosed with an intact abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) and who fulfill the inclusion diameter criterion and none of the exclusion criteria are verified at the Department of Vascular Surgery, Karolinska University Hospital, Solna, and consecutively invited to participate.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
The study doctor’s estimate of how long someone is likely to live. Criteria use it so that people can stay in the study long enough for it to answer its question.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.
GFR (glomerular filtration rate) is how much blood the kidneys filter each minute. It is usually estimated from a blood test — eGFR, by formulas such as CKD-EPI or MDRD — and some studies ask for it to be measured directly instead. Usually given in mL/min/1.73 m².
Check the method, the units and the minimum the study states. A value of 90 or above is in the normal-or-high range, but kidney damage can show in other tests too.
Life expectancy
The study doctor’s estimate of how long someone is likely to live. Criteria use it so that people can stay in the study long enough for it to answer its question.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Contraindication
A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
GFR and eGFR (kidney filtering)
GFR (glomerular filtration rate) is how much blood the kidneys filter each minute. It is usually estimated from a blood test — eGFR, by formulas such as CKD-EPI or MDRD — and some studies ask for it to be measured directly instead. Usually given in mL/min/1.73 m².
Check the method, the units and the minimum the study states. A value of 90 or above is in the normal-or-high range, but kidney damage can show in other tests too.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Structured imaging follow-up protocol with ultrasound (US) and computed tomography (CT) examinations as compared to current standard surveillance protocol for individualized estimations of AAA growth.
Also known as: Finite element analysis (FEA)
Aneurysm expansion rate
Comparison of correctness of predicted growth (diameter vs ASI)
Time frame: Primary outcome evaluated at two years of follow-up.
Aneurysm expansion rate
Assessment if a more correct predicted growth alters surveillance (ASI vs diameter)
Time frame: Primary outcome second analysis at two years follow-up.
Plan to share: No
Started Nov 2019 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Dec 2027, 97 months after the start.
Of 67 non-industry observational studies under Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal, half reached primary completion within 48 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 22 and three quarters within 83. This study's planned 97 months is above that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 91 studies reached it within 48 months; a quarter within 24 and three quarters within 83.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
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