NIS data for 3.8 million patients over 7 years identified anti-platelet agents as an independent predictor of protection from AAA, aortic dissection, and aortic rupture by multivariate regression analysis. The model included the following variables: age, gender, race, tobacco use, hypothyroidism, diabetes, fluid/electrolytes abnormalities, hypertension, alcohol abuse, drug abuse, liver disease, CHF, carotid artery disease, CKD, chronic lung disease, PAD, anemia, valvular heart disease, obesity, prior PCI, prior CABG, prior MI, hospital bed-size, hospital teaching status, and hospital region.