All people with EDS should have a routine physical examination
that includes an
assessment of blood pressure and auscultation of the heart
(listening to the heart). At this point, unless there is a rhythm disturbance
(irregular heart beat) or a murmur, there is no consensus in the literature what
people should have further examined. This is an emerging field. Studies are now
being done to assess if MRA, for example, would be helpful in imaging and
following people with Vascular EDS (type IV). Some people with Classical EDS
(type I) appear to have a risk for aortic enlargement, but who and what
proportion are not known so further study is needed. Answered by Peter Byers,
MD
A routine noninvasive cardiovascular evaluation should be performed in
all EDS patients in order to exclude valvular heart disease and dilation of the
aortic root or other vessels, including the coronary arteries.(DiMario et.al
1988 Jpn Heart J 29 (4): 491-6)
Due to the recent study (R. Wenstrup, et
al, 2002), looking at the incidence of aortic root dilation in non-
Vascular Type
EDS (22% in Hypermobile, 33% in cliassical) Dr. Lavallee recommends ultrasound
imaging the heart and aorta every two years for most patients and yearly
ultrasounds for those with known dilatation, vascular type, hypertension,
involved in a highly dynamic sport or diabetic. (Answered by Mark Lavallee, MD,
FACSM)
