 [ Symptoms ] what causes aortic aneurysms aside from arteriosclerosis [ Disease ] the most common cause of aortic aneurysms is hardening of the arteries arteriosclerosis but other causes include genetichereditary there is a familial tendency to developing abdominal aortic aneurysms peoplewith first degree relatives brothers sisters or parents having abdominal aortic aneurysms have a higher risk of developing abdominal aortic aneurysm than the general population they also tend to develop the aneurysms at younger ages and have a higher tendency to suffer aneurysm rupture than individuals without family history genetic disease there are also rare inheritable genetic diseases of connective tissue tissue that make up the wall of the aorta such as ehlers danlos syndrome and marfan is syndrome that can lead to the development of aortic aneurysms posttrauma after physical trauma to the aorta arteritis inflammation of blood vessels as occurs in takayasu disease giant cell arteritis and relapsing polychondritis mycotic fungal infection a mycotic infection may be associated with immunodeficiency iv drug abuse syphilis and heart valve surgery