(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Patients with Marfan syndrome (MFS) may get some much needed relief of their heart complications by taking an ACE inhibitor.

Preliminary research from Australia shows the ACE inhibitor perindopril combined with a beta-blocker may help reduce aortic stiffness and dilation associated with MFS.

MFS is a hereditary disorder that primarily affects the body’s connective tissues. It is often characterized by excessive bone elongation, joint flexibility and abnormalities of the eye and cardiovascular system. The most serious complications are progressive aortic dilation and rupture -- the most common cause of premature death.
 

The standard treatment for MFS is a beta-blocker but beta-blockers may not be as effective as other therapies in treating aortic wall degeneration. ACE inhibitors have been shown to reduce arterial stiffness.

Researchers gave 17 patients with Marfan syndrome the standard beta-blocker therapy. In addition, patients took either 8 milligrams per day of the ACE inhibitor perindopril or a placebo for 24 weeks.

Results show perindopril reduced participants’ aortic diameters compared to placebo in both systole -- the contraction of the chambers of the heart, and diastole -- the expanding of the chambers of the heart.

Authors of the study conclude, “Therapy with perindopril reduced both aortic stiffness and aortic root diameter in patients with [Marfan syndrome] taking standard beta-blocker therapy. These findings warrant further investigation in a larger, longer-term clinical trial.”

SOURCE: Journal of the American Medical Association, 2007;298:1539-1547