Loading...
Marfan syndrome is often accompanied by enlargement of the aortic root, increasing the risk for life-threatening dissection. Findings from animal studies have suggested that the angiotensin II-receptor blocker (ARB) losartan can inhibit molecular events that contribute to the phenotypic features of Marfan syndrome. In the present study, investigators compared the rates of aortic root diameter change in 18 children with Marfan syndrome and severe aortic-root enlargement before and after the initiation of ARB therapy. A control group consisted of 65 children with Marfan syndrome who were not treated with an ARB.
The median age of the patients was 6.5 years, and half of them were boys. The mean aortic root diameter before ARB therapy was 3.7 cm…