Abstract
The best way to prevent aortic dissection is optimal control of blood pressure, even for people with inherited forms of aortic wall weakness. Beta blockers are the antihypertensive agents of choice in individuals at risk for aortic dissection. Beta blockers lower blood pressure and decrease dp/dt. They have been shown to retard aortic expansion associated with Marfan’s syndrome1 and with chronic abdominal aortic aneurysms2. In a cohort of patients with the Marfan syndrome, Shores et al. demonstrated that the mean slope of the regression line for the aortic-root dimensions, which reflect the rate of dilatation, was significantly lower in the beta-blocker group than in the control group (0.023 vs. 0.084 per year, p < 0.001)1. Current guidelines recommend titration of these agents to achieve a heart rate of ≤60 beats per minute and a blood pressure <135/80 mmHg in usual patients and <130/80 mmHg in those with Marfan’s syndrome3–5.
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© 2007 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
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Mukherjee, D., Eagle, K.A. (2007). Prevention of Aortic Dissection. In: Eagle, K.A., Baliga, R.R., Isselbacher, E.M., Nienaber, C.A. (eds) Aortic Dissection and Related Syndromes. Developments in Cardiovascular Medicine, vol 260. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-36001-0_18
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-36001-0_18
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
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