Local physicians are teaming up with a national awareness campaign to help stop a “silent killer” by offering free ultrasound screenings to detect an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) for residents in the Bellevue area.

The screenings will be held May 21 at Lake Washington Vascular, 1135 116th Ave. N.E., Suite 305. Those interested can call (206) 290-2361. Advanced registration is required.

AAA is the third leading cause of sudden death in men over 60. More than 70 percent of at-risk individuals have never heard of the disease. Today, about one million people are walking around with one undiagnosed. If the aneurysm is left undetected, only 10 to 25 percent of people will survive. A simple ultrasound screening can detect an AAA before it’s too late.