Bloomington, IN – Cook Incorporated, the world’s largest privately held medical device manufacturer, today applauded and strongly supports the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force’s decision to recommend screening for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms (AAA) in men between the ages of 65 and 75 who have smoked at any time in their lives.

“We are pleased to see that the Task Force is taking a proactive approach to education regarding the importance of detection and treatment of AAA, one of the leading causes of death in males in the U.S,” said Barry Thomas, director of endovascular therapies at Cook. “Together with the Task Force, we look forward to continuing our efforts in building public awareness about the importance of regular screenings in the early detection of AAAs and ensuring that those most at risk are taking the appropriate steps.”

Thomas added, “This is a great first step, and we look forward to additional efforts to support screening for patients with a 1st-degree family history of AA, as this is another population at high risk.”

Cook is an active member in the National Aneurysm Alliance (NAA), a coalition of medical professional organizations, patient advocates, individuals and medical technology manufacturers dedicated to promoting public awareness and targeted screenings for AAAs.

AAA is a life-threatening condition affecting more than four million people that occurs when a section of the abdominal aorta, the body’s main circulatory vessel, weakens and bulges outward to form a fragile, balloon-like swelling – an aneurysm. If the aneurysm ruptures, the patient is at high risk of death due to internal bleeding.

About Cook Incorporated
The world’s largest privately held medical device manufacturer, with international headquarters in Bloomington, Ind., COOK® (www.cookgroup.com), is a leading designer, manufacturer and global distributor of minimally invasive medical device technology for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Since its founding in 1963, Cook has created innovative technologies for stents and stent-grafts, catheters, wire guides, introducer needles and sheaths, embolization coils, medical biomaterials, vena cava filters, implanted cardiac lead extraction equipment and other minimally invasive medical devices.