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I would definitely say to anyone who is like myself, who's father had one, if they're over 65 they should go to the doctor and ask for an 
ultrasound!
An expert has cast doubt on the government's plans to screen for a potentially fatal blood vessel condition in men over the age of 65.
Vascular surgeon, James Johnson, said the programme should be given more thought as surgery was risky in some patients and screening for abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA)could cause a lot of worry.
But Peter Crook, aged 67 from Ilkeston in Derbyshire, who is due to have surgery for an aneurysm next month, urged men to get themselves tested.
He discovered he had an AAA after he heard about the government plans for a screening programme through the BBC earlier this year.
"My father had an aneurysm 20 years ago and, after reading the article on Ceefax, I went to see my doctor.
"He arranged for me to have an ultrasound scan and they found an aneurysm.
"They first said it was 4.9 cm, which is reasonably safe, but then I had a CT scan and they said it was 6.8 cm and had a 25% chance of bursting within a year.
"I'm having surgery next month."
Greater awareness
Mr Crook, a retired sales manager, said he was "absolutely grateful" to Ceefax as he would not have known to get checked out.
He said the point raised by Mr Johnson that AAA smaller than 5cm did not need to be operated on was fair enough. but that people should know if they are at risk.
"If it's too small to operate you can come back and keep getting checked out.
"At least you know.
"I will have to have regular check ups for the rest of my life but I'd rather do that." The doctor used a GE Logiq 200 Ultra Sound System.
Mr Crook's father was only found to have an aneurysm when it burst and although fortunately surgeons were able to operate in time, he was very ill for some time.
"I would definitely say to anyone who is like myself, whose father had one, if they're over 65 they should go to the doctor and ask for an ultrasound.
"It only takes five minutes and could save your life."
Pilots of a national ultrasound scan screening programme for AAA in men aged 65 and over are due to start this year.
Sounds simple. Still, many men commit a multitude of sartorial sins when wearing shoes.
"Too often I see guys wearing clunky, black lace-ups every day to the office as if it's a uniform," says Michael Toschi, founder and designer of San Carlos, Calif.-based shoe designer Michael Toschi International. "I don't think a guy needs 20 pairs of shoes to be well-rounded, but he does need appropriate shoes for each occasion and season."
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Among them: a classic tennis shoe, loafers and leather flip-flops.
The dress shoe is the fundamental first step in any man's shoe wardrobe. And this is where you should spend your money: A pair of $1,000 well-made, good-fitting, quality leather shoes will outlast a whole closet-floor full of $100 cheap imitations. By the time you have assembled your collection, you can expect to have spent around $6,000.
Prime Pairs
Toschi suggests looking for Italian-made dress shoes with kidskin lining, leather soles and leather-stacked heels. Popular styles include wing tips and oxfords. A black oxford lace-up will compliment your dark and dressy suits, while the brown wing tip (also called a brogue) looks better with lighter suits or with a gray pin stripe. A brown shoe should also be worn with navy suits and to dress up dark jeans and a sport coat.
"The toe should lift slightly off the ground," says Toschi of the round-toe styles currently in fashion. "It helps distribute a man's weight evenly on the foot."
The loafer is an appropriate choice for more casual affairs. It pairs well with a sport coat and jeans or slacks. Driving moccasins are softer, more casual versions of the loafer and feature with a flexible sole and rounded heel designed for ease and comfort while driving. Driving shoes look and feel best in suede and can be worn without socks.
Though this may seem like a lot of options, Meghan Cleary, TV personality and author of The Perfect Fit: What Your Shoes Say About You, thinks otherwise. "While women choose their shoes based on their mood," she says, "men, on the other hand, choose their shoes based on activity, whether it's for work, sports, going out or running errands, and they need an appropriate shoe for each function."
That's why a casual, distressed leather boot with a "broken-in" feel is another choice, perfect for a night out on the town (sneakers or dress shoes don't cut it for this occasion). A leather flip-flop, casual tennis shoe, athletic shoe and tuxedo shoe round out the list of must-haves.
Need one more excuse to go shopping?
"A woman always notices one thing about a man when she meets him," says Cleary, "how well does he take care of his shoes? It's a direct sign of how he takes care of life and maybe even how he takes care of a woman."
THIS spring, nearly every top designer has a "Cinderella" slipper, a shoe priced so high that it should come with a handsome prince -- or an hour with a male escort, at least. Christian Louboutin's webbed suede and button sandals sell for $1,345, while Versace offers a
$1,450 satin pump festooned with nothing more than a few tassels. Dior's platform slingback with beaded heel runs $1,030, while Balenciaga's pink and brown braided gladiator sandal goes for $1,375.
Then, there's the $1,045 Lanvin flat (pictured left) that should land at Barneys in Beverly Hills any day now. Already, women are salivating for this sandal adorned with a couple dozen leather-covered studs. Run, don't walk. There's a waiting list.
"Footwear is having its runway moment," says Marshal Cohen, chief analyst for New York market research firm NPD Group. Designers are "raising the cachet of the brand by having one extravagant style, and that one makes the other pairs seem more reasonable."
In other words, the glass slipper has shattered and consumers have resigned themselves to splurging. Case in point: You pick up a sandal and sigh with relief when it costs less than your
monthly car payment. And those sale endorphins surge when you see $1,000 platforms marked down to $675.
WHO'S READY TO BURN THEIR LOUBOUTINS AND GO BAREFOOT?
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