Hereditary Brain Aneurysm Support (HBA Support) is a not-for-profit organisation, set up to provide information and support for people affected by hereditary brain aneurysms and their families.
Our aim is to support people affected by hereditary brain aneurysms, building a community that works with families that have been given a hereditary brain aneurysm diagnosis, or suspect there is a pattern or cluster in their family. We will support people affected, improve patient information and increase research and understanding into brain aneurysms that run in families.
An aneurysm is a bulge in a blood vessel caused by a weakness in the blood vessel wall, usually where it branches.
Thousands of people live well with brain aneurysms without knowing they carry one. It’s only when they rupture (burst) that they can be fatal or life-changing for the person and their family.
When a rupture happens, it is usually very sudden and without warning.
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 when it happens, it can impact families severely.
If you have a strong family history of brain aneurysms there is 2.3% to 29.4% chance of having an unruptured brain aneurysm, compared with 0.2% - 8.8% of the general population.
If you are living with the impact of a sudden subarachnoid haemorrhage or a burst aneurysm with no family history, the Brain and Spine Foundation can help. Other organisations can also support you too. Find out more on our Information and Support pages.