The Effect of an Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitor on Aortic Wall Properties in Patients With Marfan Syndrome.

The purpose of this research is to assess the effects of a drug called perindopril on the aorta in people known to have Marfan Syndrome. The aorta is the major artery of the body that comes out of the heart and supplies blood to the body. We know that in people with Marfan Syndrome, the aorta is stiff and this stiffness results in its enlargement over many years. This enlargement of the aorta can be very serious. We know from treatment of other heart conditions that drugs of the same type as perindopril reduce stiffness of the arteries. This type of drug has never been tried in people with Marfan Syndrome.