What Causes a Brain Aneurysm?
A person may inherit the tendency to form aneurysms, or aneurysms may develop because of hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis) and aging. Some risk factors that can lead to brain aneurysms can be controlled, and others can’t. The following risk factors may increase your risk of developing an aneurysm or, if you already have an aneurysm, may increase your risk of it rupturing:1 • Family history. People who have a family history of brain aneurysms are twice as likely to have an aneurysm as people who don’t. • Previous aneurysm. About 20% of patients with brain aneurysms have more than one. • Gender. Women are twice as likely to develop a brain aneurysm or to suffer a subarachnoid hemorrhage as men. • Race. African Americans have twice as many subarachnoid hemorrhages as whites. • Hypertension. The risk of subarachnoid hemorrhage is greater in people with a history of high blood pressure (hypertension). • Smoking. In addition to being a cause of hypertension, the use of cigarettes m
