Marfan syndrome is a condition that originates from a faulty gene that affects the connective tissue of the body.
About Marfan Syndrome
Marfan syndrome affects connective tissue of the ocular, nervous, cardiovascular, pulmonary and skeletal systems. The bones, ligaments, cartilage, blood vessels and tendons are some types of connective tissue that are often affected by Marfan syndrome. Most of its serious defects often develop in the cardiovascular system, where it notably causes the heart values and aorta development complications.
This particular disorder is known to develop from a mostly spontaneous gene mutation that commonly occurs before birth. In most cases, however, that gene mutation occurs in people who have a family history of the condition.
Although Marfan syndrome is a disorder with no known cure, the condition is manageable by many people who now live with the disorder.
The Life Expectancy of Marfan Syndrome
Marfan syndrome is a manageable disorder with symptoms that can be mild in some cases and severe in others. Those symptoms typically depend on the person afflicted with the condition, notably due to factors like age.
The life expectancy of people with Marfan syndrome originally used to be in the mid-40s, which was determined a number of factors in the past. As early as the 1970s, the life expectancy of people with Marfan syndrome was projected as ‘at least two-thirds’ of a person without the disease. Nowadays, people with Marfan syndrome live until age 70, which is comparable to the average life expectancy of the general population.
Both children and adults can live Marfan syndrome as long as they engage in appropriate medical care, receive accurate information from their doctor and social support to make living with the disease more manageable. Genetic counseling can also help people with Marfan syndrome understand how the disease works.
Aging with Marfan Syndrome
While people living with Marfan syndrome have a pretty good prognosis, there are ways that they can make living with the disease much easier. Most healthy people living with the disease are able to curb some of the worse side effects by receiving regular medical attention and adjusting their lifestyle to suit their disease.
People who live past age 50 with Marfan syndrome are commonly advised of the risks of developing the characteristic impairments that Marfan syndrome causes others to develop. Cardiovascular problems, bone and joint problems and vision impairments are all common issues that Marfan syndrome has to worry about in older age.
While some people do develop worsening conditions early on, most people with Marfan syndrome do enjoy living into older age.
