Nutritional Ketosis Marfan

NCT07495267 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: 202510143
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 15
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

In this pilot clinical trial, the investigators will test whether a carefully supervised ketogenic diet can safely help people with Marfan syndrome who already have a chronic or residual aortic dissection. Fifteen participants will work with a study coordinator and dietitian to learn how to follow the diet and will have regular guidance and check-ins. The participants will measure their blood ketone levels at home with a simple finger-stick device and relay their readings to the research team. Every three months, blood samples will also be collected to confirm the body's level of ketosis. Participants will continue their usual heart and blood-pressure medicines and regular visits with their doctors. Standard of care computed tomography (CT) scans of the aorta will be performed at the start of the study and then again at 6 and 12 months to see if the aorta changes in size. The main goal is to see how many patients can avoid needing aortic surgery within one year, compared with what is normally expected from past studies. The investigators will also track how well patients follow the diet, how their aorta changes, and whether inflammation in their blood decreases.

Conditions

Marfan Syndrome; Aortic Dissection

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Freedom from aortic intervention

  Freedom from aortic intervention at 12 months compared with historical controls.

  12 months

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Aortic dissection and inflammatory markers

  12 months

• Number of Participants who Maintained Diet Adherence measured by Ketone Monitor

  From day 1 to 12 months

Study Arms (1)

Prospective Cohort

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will initiate a supervised ketogenic diet formulated to provide approximately 70-75% of calories from fat, 20% from protein, and less than 10% from carbohydrates, consistent with protocols successfully used in therapeutic epilepsy trials but adapted for adult cardiovascular patients. They will measure their blood ketone levels at home with a simple finger-stick device and relay their readings to the research team. Every three months, blood samples will also be collected to confirm the body's level of ketosis. Participants will continue their usual heart and blood-pressure medicines and regular visits with their doctors. Standard of care computed tomography (CT) scans of the aorta will be performed at the start of the study and then again at 6 and 12 months to see if the aorta changes in size.

Other: Ketogenic diet

Interventions

Ketogenic diet OTHER

Participants will continue ketogenic diet for 12 months.

Prospective Cohort

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 50 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Adults between 18 and 50 years old.
• Ability to understand and willingness to sign an Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved written informed consent document.
• Genetically or clinically confirmed Marfan syndrome
• Chronic descending thoracic aortic dissection present for at least three months
• Maximal descending thoracic aortic diameter must measure between 4.0 and 5.0 cm at baseline on contrast-enhanced computed tomography angiography (CTA)
• Have been clinically stable and consistent antihypertensive regimen for at least four weeks

You may not qualify if:

• Acute or rapidly enlarging dissection (\>0.5 cm increase over the preceding three months)
• Prior descending thoracic aortic repair or endograft placement
• Advanced renal or hepatic dysfunction
• Poorly controlled diabetes requiring insulin
• Active malignancy, pregnancy, or other metabolic or nutritional disorders that would contraindicate ketogenic therapy
• Body mass index below 18 kg/m²
• Inability to comply with dietary restrictions or follow-up imaging
• Current enrollment in another interventional study, which in the opinion of the principal investigator, may confound study results.
• Patients who, in the opinion of the principal investigator, are not suitable candidates for study participation.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Washington University School of Medicine: lead

Related Publications (27)

• Kaul N, Duan J, Cui D, Erlichster M, Chen Z, Anderson D, Chan J, Scheffer IE, Skafidas E, Liao J, Kwan P. Serial correlation between saliva and blood beta-hydroxybutyrate levels in children commencing the ketogenic diet for epilepsy. Epilepsia. 2025 Sep;66(9):3282-3292. doi: 10.1111/epi.18465. Epub 2025 May 24.

  PMID: 40411493 BACKGROUND

• Huang J, Yeung AM, Bergenstal RM, Castorino K, Cengiz E, Dhatariya K, Niu I, Sherr JL, Umpierrez GE, Klonoff DC. Update on Measuring Ketones. J Diabetes Sci Technol. 2024 May;18(3):714-726. doi: 10.1177/19322968231152236. Epub 2023 Feb 16.

  PMID: 36794812 BACKGROUND

• Neves GS, Lunardi MS, Lin K, Rieger DK, Ribeiro LC, Moreira JD. Ketogenic diet, seizure control, and cardiometabolic risk in adult patients with pharmacoresistant epilepsy: a review. Nutr Rev. 2021 Jul 7;79(8):931-944. doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nuaa112.

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• Roehl K, Sewak SL. Practice Paper of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Classic and Modified Ketogenic Diets for Treatment of Epilepsy. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2017 Aug;117(8):1279-1292. doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2017.06.006.

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  PMID: 40008501 BACKGROUND

• Loeys BL, Dietz HC, Braverman AC, Callewaert BL, De Backer J, Devereux RB, Hilhorst-Hofstee Y, Jondeau G, Faivre L, Milewicz DM, Pyeritz RE, Sponseller PD, Wordsworth P, De Paepe AM. The revised Ghent nosology for the Marfan syndrome. J Med Genet. 2010 Jul;47(7):476-85. doi: 10.1136/jmg.2009.072785.

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  PMID: 30926475 BACKGROUND

• Wheeler JB, Ikonomidis JS, Jones JA. Connective Tissue Disorders and Cardiovascular Complications: The Indomitable Role of Transforming Growth Factor-beta Signaling. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2021;1348:161-184. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-80614-9_7.

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• Huang K, Wang Y, Siu KL, Zhang Y, Cai H. Targeting feed-forward signaling of TGFbeta/NOX4/DHFR/eNOS uncoupling/TGFbeta axis with anti-TGFbeta and folic acid attenuates formation of aortic aneurysms: Novel mechanisms and therapeutics. Redox Biol. 2021 Jan;38:101757. doi: 10.1016/j.redox.2020.101757. Epub 2020 Oct 13.

  PMID: 33126053 BACKGROUND

• Zhu H, Bi D, Zhang Y, Kong C, Du J, Wu X, Wei Q, Qin H. Ketogenic diet for human diseases: the underlying mechanisms and potential for clinical implementations. Signal Transduct Target Ther. 2022 Jan 17;7(1):11. doi: 10.1038/s41392-021-00831-w.

  PMID: 35034957 BACKGROUND

• Patikorn C, Saidoung P, Pham T, Phisalprapa P, Lee YY, Varady KA, Veettil SK, Chaiyakunapruk N. Effects of ketogenic diet on health outcomes: an umbrella review of meta-analyses of randomized clinical trials. BMC Med. 2023 May 25;21(1):196. doi: 10.1186/s12916-023-02874-y.

  PMID: 37231411 BACKGROUND

• Chamma L, Chamma N, Mattar L, Slaybe M, Haidar S, Rizk R. Beyond epilepsy management: A narrative review of the health effects of ketogenic diets. Nutrition. 2025 Sep;137:112804. doi: 10.1016/j.nut.2025.112804. Epub 2025 Apr 16.

  PMID: 40403346 BACKGROUND

• Augustin K, Khabbush A, Williams S, Eaton S, Orford M, Cross JH, Heales SJR, Walker MC, Williams RSB. Mechanisms of action for the medium-chain triglyceride ketogenic diet in neurological and metabolic disorders. Lancet Neurol. 2018 Jan;17(1):84-93. doi: 10.1016/S1474-4422(17)30408-8. Epub 2017 Dec 16.

  PMID: 29263011 BACKGROUND

• Weng X, Pan L, Ma X, Luo W, Su H, Pei Z, Dong Z, Liu L, Yang J, Gao P, Sun A. Ketogenic diet and beta-hydroxybutyrate inhibit HDAC1 to preserve vascular smooth muscle cell function in thoracic aortic aneurysm. J Adv Res. 2026 Feb;80:475-486. doi: 10.1016/j.jare.2025.05.035. Epub 2025 May 19.

  PMID: 40398746 BACKGROUND

• Sastriques-Dunlop S, Elizondo-Benedetto S, Arif B, Meade R, Zaghloul MS, English SJ, Liu Y, Zayed MA. Ketosis Prevents Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Rupture Through CCR2 Downregulation and Enhanced MMP Balance. bioRxiv [Preprint]. 2023 Feb 22:2023.02.21.529460. doi: 10.1101/2023.02.21.529460.

  PMID: 36865192 BACKGROUND

• Zaghloul MS, Elizondo-Benedetto S, Zayed MA. Impact of ketogenic diet on cardiovascular disease. Nutr Rev. 2024 Dec 1;82(12):1835-1844. doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nuad152.

  PMID: 38109885 BACKGROUND

• Sastriques-Dunlop S, Elizondo-Benedetto S, Arif B, Meade R, Zaghloul MS, Luehmann H, Heo GS, English SJ, Liu Y, Zayed MA. Ketosis prevents abdominal aortic aneurysm rupture through C-C chemokine receptor type 2 downregulation and enhanced extracellular matrix balance. Sci Rep. 2024 Jan 16;14(1):1438. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-51996-7.

  PMID: 38228786 BACKGROUND

• Milewicz DM, Ramirez F. Therapies for Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms and Acute Aortic Dissections. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2019 Feb;39(2):126-136. doi: 10.1161/ATVBAHA.118.310956.

  PMID: 30651002 BACKGROUND

• Tinkle BT, Lacro RV, Burke LW; COUNCIL ON GENETICS. Health Supervision for Children and Adolescents With Marfan Syndrome. Pediatrics. 2023 Apr 1;151(4):e2023061450. doi: 10.1542/peds.2023-061450.

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• Milewicz DM, Braverman AC, De Backer J, Morris SA, Boileau C, Maumenee IH, Jondeau G, Evangelista A, Pyeritz RE. Marfan syndrome. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2021 Sep 2;7(1):64. doi: 10.1038/s41572-021-00298-7.

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• Hofmann Bowman MA, Eagle KA, Milewicz DM. Update on Clinical Trials of Losartan With and Without beta-Blockers to Block Aneurysm Growth in Patients With Marfan Syndrome: A Review. JAMA Cardiol. 2019 Jul 1;4(7):702-707. doi: 10.1001/jamacardio.2019.1176.

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MeSH Terms

Conditions

Marfan Syndrome; Aortic Dissection

Interventions

Diet, Ketogenic

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Bone Diseases, Developmental; Bone Diseases; Musculoskeletal Diseases; Heart Defects, Congenital; Cardiovascular Abnormalities; Cardiovascular Diseases; Heart Diseases; Abnormalities, Multiple; Congenital Abnormalities; Congenital, Hereditary, and Neonatal Diseases and Abnormalities; Genetic Diseases, Inborn; Connective Tissue Diseases; Skin and Connective Tissue Diseases; Dissection, Blood Vessel; Aneurysm; Vascular Diseases; Acute Aortic Syndrome; Aortic Diseases

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Diet, Carbohydrate-Restricted; Diet Therapy; Nutrition Therapy; Therapeutics; Diet; Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Diet, Food, and Nutrition; Physiological Phenomena

Central Study Contacts

Mohamed Zayed, MD, PhD, MBA, DFSVS, FAHA, FAC

CONTACT

(314) 362-5648; zayedm@wustl.edu

Kelly Koogler, RN, BSN

CONTACT

3142861506; kooglerk@wustl.edu

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: March 12, 2026
• First Posted: March 27, 2026
• Study Start: March 13, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): March 1, 2028
• Study Completion (Estimated): March 1, 2028
• Last Updated: March 27, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-03

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share