Marfan syndrome is a familial (genetic, hereditary) condition affecting connective tissue of the body. Symptoms and characteristics include an arched palate (roof of the mouth), scoliosis, and flat feet. Problems with the eyes, cardiovascular as dilatation of arch of Aorta and nervous system; skin; and lungs.
People with Marfan syndrome now have expanded therapeutic options for slowing the rate of aortic enlargement, the life-threatening aspect of Marfan syndrome. In the Pediatric Heart Network (PHN) clinical trial of 608 Marfan syndrome patients between the ages of six months and 25 years, losartan (at up to the FDA recommended dose for hypertension) was shown to be equally effective as atenolol (at a dose above the FDA recommended daily dose), with both drugs leading to a significant decline in body size-indexed aortic root dimension over time. This is a new finding for losartan and…
