Marfan syndrome and asthma: A review

Marfan syndrome is a disorder involving multiple organ systems, including t he skeletal, ocular, and cardiovascular systems. Progressive dilatation of the ascending aorta and aortic dissection are well-recognized complications of Marfan syndrome. The use of beta blockers has been shown to slow the ra te of growth of the ascending aorta and to lessen cardiovascular complicati ons. Asthma is likely to be encountered in some patients with Marfan syndro me, and there appears to be no contraindication to current therapeutic opti ons for asthma with coexisting Marfan syndrome. By contrast, however, the u se of beta blockers may complicate or exacerbate asthma, Cardioselective be ta blockers may be better tolerated but still have the potential to cause b ronchoconstriction, Calcium channel blockers possess some of the same physi ologic effects of beta blockers without associated bronchoconstriction and may be an effective alternative therapy to beta blockers. Further research is needed to develop more selective beta blockers and to establish the effi cacy of calcium channel blockers and other alternative agents to lessen aor tic complications in Marfan syndrome.