Risk Factors of Fibromuscular Dysplasia and Related Dysplasia-Associated Arterial Diseases

OVERVIEW

• No screening tool exists to define risks for fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD)
• Inventors delineated elevated risk among relatives of female FMD patients

BACKGROUND

Fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) is a rare disease that causes overgrowth of the inner layer of any artery, creating narrowing that can lead to life-threatening complications. FMS is distinctly different from the more prevalent arterial disease which is associated with arteriosclerosis. While FMD is known to occur more frequently in females, no identifiable screening tools have been created to assess the risks for a patient to develop FMD.

INNOVATION

Inventors at the University of Michigan studied the family members of FMD patients to better define familial associations of this illness. The researchers learned that the risk of developing FMD was higher in female family members of affected patients. An association was also noted between female FMD patients and abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) in their male relatives. So, the investigators showed a rationale for PMD screening in female relatives of those affected as well as AAA screening in male relatives of these patients.