In more recent times, Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, basketball prospect Isaiah Austin and, perhaps, al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden had Marfan syndrome.
Javier Botet
Born on 30th July 1977, Javier Botet Lopez is a Spanish actor who usually casts in creature roles. Some of the roles he has played include portraying Tristana Medeiros in the REC franchise. Javier was diagnosed with Marfan Syndrome at the age of five.
Kevin Durant, an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA), has Marfan syndrome, a genetic disorder that affects the connective tissue.
The expected lifespan of a person with Marfan syndrome used to be around the mid-40s age group, but now extends into the 70s – which is comparable to the general population. This improved lifespan is mainly due to: improved awareness of Marfan syndrome across health professionals.
Signs and Symptoms
Marfan syndrome affects approximately 1 in 5,000 people, and includes men and women of all ethnic groups. The signs and symptoms manifests differently between individuals, and can take many years to develop. Some features include tall stature, long fingers, flexible joints, or high arched palates.
Interestingly, the final height of males with MFS is almost identical in different countries: 191.2±8.4 cm in France, 191.4±5.2 cm in Korea (9), and 191.3±9.0 cm (8) in the United States. This is true despite the difference in men's final height in each general population (174.4 vs.
People with Marfan syndrome are usually tall and thin with unusually long arms, legs, fingers and toes.
Marfan syndrome affects males and females in equal numbers and occurs worldwide with no ethnic predisposition. The prevalence has been estimated to be 1 in 5-10,000 individuals in the general population.
The general guidelines for people with Marfan syndrome are to avoid competitive and contact sports that would put added stress on the aorta, cause chest or eye trauma, or be potentially damaging to loose ligaments and joints.
Some people are only mildly affected by Marfan syndrome, while others develop more serious symptoms. Typical characteristics of Marfan syndrome include: being tall. abnormally long and slender limbs, fingers and toes (arachnodactyly) heart defects.
However, with focused and appropriate medical and surgical intervention, patients with Marfan syndrome who have cardiovascular abnormalities can expect to live long and rewarding lives, similar to people without connective tissue disorders.
Finally, Marfan syndrome may lead to curvature of the spine, an abnormally shaped chest that sinks in or sticks out, long arms, legs and fingers, flexible joints and flat feet. Because of this, people with the condition are typically taller and thinner in stature.
We evaluated the neurodevelopmental status and cognitive ability of 30 school-age children with Marfan syndrome. We found average intellectual (mean full scale IQ = 109.3) and gross motor development.
Many people with Marfan syndrome have difficulty gaining weight, especially when they are younger, no matter how much they eat and how many protein shakes they consume.
Such was the case with six-foot, five-inch U.S. Olympic volleyball star Flo Hyman, who died in January 1986 at the age of 31 from a ruptured aorta—the result of Marfan's syndrome—during a match in Japan.
Most people with Marfan syndrome have nearsightedness, or myopia, and an extra curved shape of the eye, or astigmatism.
Marfan syndrome can damage the blood vessels, heart, eyes, skin, lungs, and the bones of the hips, spine, feet, and rib cage. Some complications of Marfan syndrome can be treated or prevented, including heart disease, bone deformities such as a curved spine, eye conditions, crooked teeth, and collapsed lungs.
In Marfan syndrome, the connective tissue is weaker than normal, so it stretches, bulges, or tears. This syndrome most commonly affects the heart, eyes, blood vessels, skin, and skeleton. In most cases, the disease tends to worsen with age.
Symptoms of Marfan syndrome can be mild to severe and vary because the condition can affect different areas of the body, including the: Skeleton, which includes bone and connective tissues such as ligaments, tendons, and cartilage.
Not all tall people have Marfan, but those who have it generally are much taller than average.
Mean length at birth was 53 +/- 4.4 cm for males and 52.5 +/- 3.5 cm for females. Mean final height was 191.3 +/- 9 cm for males and 175.4 +/- 8.2 cm for females. Mean birth weight was 3.51 +/- 0.74 kg for males and 3.48 +/- 0.68 kg for females.
If you have Marfan syndrome, you are at risk for a life-threatening problem in an important blood vessel in your chest called the aorta. If your aorta is weaker or larger than normal, it is important to know symptoms of a dissection, or rupture.
Children and young people may also display some behavioural and emotional problems and low self-esteem. They may suffer bullying or teasing at school if they have strong Marfanoid characteristics. They may additionally internalise their worries, resulting in withdrawal, physical complaints, anxiety and depression.