Regular noncompetitive physical exercise, however, is beneficial for Marfan patients. Good choices include brisk walking, shooting baskets, and slow-paced tennis.
They cant exercise as vigorously as someone without Marfan syndrome
The treatment and management of Marfan is tailored to the specific symptoms of each patient. Some patients find that the syndrome has little impact on their overall lifestyle; others have found their lives centered on the disorder.
Myopia (nearsightedness). Most patients with Marfan develop nearsightedness, usually in childhood.
This condition is much more prevalent in patients with Marfan syndrome than in the general population.
Retinal detachment. Patients with Marfan are more vulnerable to this disorder because of the weakness of their connective tissues.
About 90% of Marfan patients will develop cardiac complications.
Between 50 and 80% of Marfan patients have dislocated lenses.
It is recommended that patients have an echocardiogram during each of the three trimesters of pregnancy.
The weak dura in Marfan patients swells or bulges under the pressure of the spinal fluid. This swelling is called ectasia.
Smoking is particularly harmful for Marfan patients because it increases their risk of emphysema.
After a person has been diagnosed with Marfan, he or she should be monitored with an echocardiogram every six months until it is clear that the aorta is not growing larger. After that, the patient should have an echocardiogram once a year.
A few patients with Marfan may have a pectus excavatum on one side of their chest and a pectus carinatum on the other.