Beta-Blocker Use during Pregnancy Correlates with Less Aortic Root Dilatation in Patients with Marfan's Syndrome.

BACKGROUND

 Pregnant patients with Marfan's syndrome (MFS) are at an increased risk for adverse aortic outcomes. While beta-blockers are used to slow aortic root dilatation in nonpregnant MFS patients, the benefit of such therapy in pregnant MFS patients remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of beta-blockers on aortic root dilatation during pregnancy in MFS patients.

METHODS

 This was a longitudinal single-center retrospective cohort study of females with MFS who completed a pregnancy between 2004 and 2020. Clinical, fetal, and echocardiographic data were compared in patients on- versus off-beta-blockers during pregnancy.

RESULTS

 A total of 20 pregnancies completed by 19 patients were evaluated. Beta-blocker therapy was initiated or continued in 13 (65%) of the 20 pregnancies. Pregnancies on-beta-blocker therapy experienced less aortic growth compared with those off-beta-blockers (0.10 [interquartile range, IQR: 0.10-0.20] vs. 0.30 cm [IQR: 0.25-0.35];

CONCLUSION

 This is the first study that we are aware of to evaluate changes in aortic dimensions in MFS pregnancies stratified by beta-blocker use. Beta-blocker therapy was found to be associated with less aortic root growth during pregnancy in MFS patients.

Informations de copyright

The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts

The authors declare no conflict of interest related to this article.