In the end there is no one single cause, but we do know there are factors that put a person at increased odds to develop AAA, some treatable, some not. First and foremost of the preventable causes is smoking. Although not all smokers get AAA’s, and not all AAA patients are smokers, we know that patients who do smoke have higher rates of AAA. Other common factors include long-term high blood pressure, cholesterol issues (hyperlipidemia), age greater than 60, and male gender (AAA is more common in males). An important risk factor for AAA is family history. While it is not a true genetic condition passed down from one generation to the next, it definitely is seen more commonly in patients with family members who have AAA than patients without such family histories.