25th Annual National Marfan Foundation Conference

Mayo Clinic Rochester, Rochester MN

Investigators

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The 25th Annual Conference on Marfan Syndrome and Related Disorders will take place August 6-9, 2009 at Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minnesota in collaboration with the National Marfan Foundation (NMF). The conference is a fully-integrated four-day event that includes more than 70 workshops, support groups and educational programs for people affected with Marfan syndrome and related disorders and their families;a CME program for medical professionals;concurrent programs for children and teens;and a formal meeting of the NMF Professional Advisory Board (PAB), the nation's leading specialists in the disorder, to discuss the latest advancements in research, treatment, and diagnostic criteria. In addition, Mayo Clinic will host a free clinic where conference participants will receive on-site medical testing and assessment by PAB members, Mayo specialists and invited guest physicians. Mayo Clinic is an enrollment site for the trial of Beta Blocker Therapy (atenolol) vs. Angiotensin II Receptor Blocker Therapy (losartan) in Individuals with Marfan Syndrome. Information on the trial will be available at the conference for consumers and medical professionals. The NIH-sponsored National Registry of Genetically Triggered Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms and Cardiovascular Conditions (GenTAC) will also be on-site to enroll eligible participants in a registry to collect clinical data and samples on patients with aneurysms and dissections that are caused by genetic alterations. (End of Abstract)