I used to maintain an entire site about Marfan Syndrome (sometimes abbreviated as MFS) but junked it due to lack of participation. Howver, just because I mothballed the MarfanSyndrome.us site the news alerts don’t stop arriving in my inbox. So here is the latest story on Marfan…

By TRICIA STUART , Special to The Herald Press

A rare disease, Marfan Syndrome can cause sudden cardiac death in the young and in athletes, but Marfan is only one disease that kills young athletes.
“Reasonable and careful screening of young athletes is worthwhile. The size of the joints and stretch marks on the skin are common in Marfan,” according to David Silverman, associate professor of medicine and director of non-invasive cardiology at the University of Connecticut Health Center.

Silverman works with colleague and world-famous geneticist, Petros Tsipouras, while researching Marfan Syndrome, a little known disease that affects the connective tissues, including the heart.

Marfan Syndrome has no age limitations and it is neither race nor gender specific.

Often thought of as a tall person’s affliction, “the first of many misconceptions about the illness is that height is in no way a criteria for Marfan Syndrome,” Silverman said. “I’ve met many who are short.The ratio of upper torso to lower body is a criteria, but tallness doesn’t have any thing to do with it.”

Read the full article.