New treatment option for Marfan Syndrome

MIAMI – Approximately 200,000 people in the United States, both men and women, suffer from Marfan Syndrome, a congenital condition that causes enlargement of the aorta and can lead to sudden death.

Dr. Allan Stewart, a heart surgeon with HCA Florida Mercy Hospital said a recent meta-analysis found that many patients could benefit from a newer version of drugs called Angio Sten Receptor Blockers or A.R.B.’s.

“This medicine is promising. Initially ARBs were used in a study a few years back in mice and it actually cured all the mice but when we tried to replicate it in humans it didn’t work, and we found out it didn’t work because the quantity of the drug was off. This new drug is longer lasting, has more bioavailability and does slow down the growth of an aorta,” Stewart said.

The study found the benefits were seen with or without the use of additional medications called beta-blockers.

And researchers in France have found a link between hysterectomy and Type II diabetes.

The study found a 52 percent increased risk of developing Type II diabetes among women who had a hysterectomy before the age of 45.

Previous research has linked hysterectomies to an increased risk of heart disease, hypertension and thyroid cancer.

Hysterectomy is the second most common surgery for women in the U.S.


About the Author:

Veteran journalist Kathleen Corso is the special projects producer for Local 10 News.