Brain aneurysm ruptures are rare. 1 in 12,000 people suffer a rupture, which is about 5,000 people annually. Although these can be life-changing, the good news is that when detected early, aneurysms are highly treatable.
If you have been diagnosed with an unruptured brain aneurysms, you are not alone. Thousands of people live well with monitored aneurysms, and hundreds are successfully treated every month on the NHS, returning to their active lives.
Brain aneurysm ruptures are rare. 1 in 12,000 people suffer a rupture, which is about 5,000 people annually. Although these can be life-changing, the good news is that when detected early, aneurysms are highly treatable.
Hereditary Brain Aneurysm Support is here for people with brain aneurysms and families at increased risk of brain aneurysms
Hereditary Brain Aneurysm Support (HBA Support) is the UK's only charity dedicated to supporting people affected by brain aneurysms and families with increased or hereditary risk in the UK.
We provide trusted, balanced information and support for people affected by brain aneurysms, building a community for families that have been given a hereditary brain aneurysm diagnosis or suspect there is a pattern or cluster in their family.
Since 2022, we've been supporting hundreds of people affected, working with the medical, research, and policy communities to improve information and research.
A brain aneurysm is a bulge in a blood vessel caused by a weakness in the blood vessel wall, usually where it branches.
How Do Brain Aneurysms Form?
A brain aneurysm develops when blood pressure pushes against a weakened spot in a blood vessel wall. Over time, this pressure can cause the wall to thin and bulge. Think of it like an overstretched balloon. Several risk factors may contribute to this process:
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Family history of brain aneurysms
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High blood pressure (hypertension)
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Smoking
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Connective tissue disorders
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Head trauma
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Age and sex (more common in people over 40 and in women)
Thousands of people live well with brain aneurysms without knowing they carry one. Only when they rupture (burst) can they be fatal or life-changing for the person and their family.
When a brain aneurysm ruptures, it is usually very sudden and without warning and it causes a life-threatening subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH).
Most cases of brain aneurysms are sporadic, meaning they are sudden and have no genetic hereditary pattern.
However, sometimes, cases of brain aneurysms cluster or run in families. This is rare, but it can impact families severely when it happens.
If you have a strong family history of brain aneurysms, there is a 2.3% to 29.4% chance of having an unruptured brain aneurysm, compared with 0.2% - 8.8% of the general population.
A subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) is a rare type of stroke and happens when a weak spot in a blood vessel (usually caused by an aneurysm rupture) bursts and blood leaks into the space around the brain. This space within the brain is normally filled with cerebrospinal fluid, and when blood suddenly enters it, it irritates the brain and increases pressure inside the skull.
It's rare. Around 5,000 people in the UK have one each year, but it's serious, and it needs emergency treatment in hospital.
There are usually no symptoms or warning signs leading up to it, the bleeding usually comes on very suddenly and causes an extremely severe headache - often described as a “thunderclap headache. People may also feel sick, confused or sensitive to light and some people lose consciousness.
With fast treatment and good follow-up care, many people recover, although everyone's journey and recovery looks different. Find out more about symptoms, treatment and recovery.
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