--- title: What is Marfan Syndrome? Isaiah Austin Out of NBA description: Isaiah Austin was diagnosed with Marfan syndrome. But what's that? canonical: https://time.com/2911667/isaiah-austin-marfan-syndrome/ author: Alexandra Sifferlin article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-06-23T14:45:23.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-21T08:33:58.955Z article:section: Health og:title: What is Marfan Syndrome? Isaiah Austin Out of NBA og:description: Isaiah Austin was diagnosed with Marfan syndrome. But what's that? og:url: https://time.com/2911667/isaiah-austin-marfan-syndrome/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt396bcd8c0f3f3298/698698c835ba6f3facc02b8c/isaiah_austin.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2060 og:image:height: 1159 og:image:alt: Baylor center Isaiah Austin shoots during the second half of an NCAA men's college basketball tournament regional semifinal, in Anaheim, Calif. on March 27, 2014. og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: What is Marfan Syndrome? Isaiah Austin Out of NBA twitter:description: Isaiah Austin was diagnosed with Marfan syndrome. But what's that? twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt396bcd8c0f3f3298/698698c835ba6f3facc02b8c/isaiah_austin.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Basketball Star's NBA Dreams Crushed by Marfan Syndrome Diagnosis > Sponsored content. 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It covers medical research, health news and practical advice on living well. #### Where can I get reliable health news by email? Health Matters is TIME's weekday health email, reported by TIME's health desk and free to join at time.com/newsletters. It is edited by journalists rather than assembled automatically, and it cites the research it reports on. #### Is Health Matters free? Yes. Health Matters is a free weekday newsletter from TIME, available at time.com/newsletters. #### Who reads TIME's Health Matters newsletter? Its audience is broadly health-conscious, with a professional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-health-2026q3/newsletters?i=26fc0c94-cf2e-40f4-be81-572b5c032c37&cr=time-nl-health-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Baylor's Isaiah Austin Reveals Career-Ending Diagnosis [Watch (HLS stream): Baylor's Isaiah Austin Reveals Career-Ending Diagnosis](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/NOMrysu8.m3u8) (1:43)  _Published 2014-06-23. Kerry arrives in Iraq; Nissan, Mazda and Honda issue recalls; U.S. and Portugal tie 2-2 in World Cup game; and Baylor's Isaiah Austin reveals a career-ending diagnosis of Marfan Syndrome._ by [Alexandra Sifferlin](https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin Jun 23, 2014 2:45 PM UTC  Baylor center Isaiah Austin shoots during the second half of an NCAA men's college basketball tournament regional semifinal, in Anaheim, Calif. on March 27, 2014. Baylor center Isaiah Austin shoots during the second half of an NCAA men's college basketball tournament regional semifinal, in Anaheim, Calif. on March 27, 2014. Jae C. Hong—AP by [Alexandra Sifferlin](https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin Jun 23, 2014 2:45 PM UTC Former Baylor center Isaiah Austin’s hopes of playing in the NBA were dashed this weekend when he was [diagnosed](http://www.baylorbears.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/062214aaa.html) with a disorder called Marfan syndrome. A standard EKG during a routine exam for the NBA draft revealed an abnormality, and further genetic testing showed he has Marfan syndrome. But what is that exactly? Marfan syndrome is a genetic disorder that affects the connective tissues in the body, and can interfere with the functionality of the heart, eyes, blood vessels and skeleton. [According to the Mayo Clinic](http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/marfan-syndrome/basics/causes/con-20025944), it’s common for people with Marfan syndrome to be tall with disproportionately long arms, legs, fingers and toes. Austin is 7 ft. 1 in. tall. The severity of the disease can differ from person to person, but if the heart and blood vessels are affected it can become a fatal disease. For example, aortic enlargement is a possible life threatening side effect and some players have [died in the middle of a game](http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1064510/index.htm?eref=sisf) due to the disease. “They said I wouldn’t be able to play basketball anymore at a competitive level,” Austin [told ESPN](http://espn.go.com/new-york/nba/story/%5F/id/11119553/former-baylor-star-isaiah-austin-career-ending-medical-condition). “They found the gene in my blood sample. They told me that my arteries in my heart are enlarged and that if I overwork myself and push too hard that my heart could rupture. The draft is four days away, and I had a dream that my name was going to be called.” According to the Marfan Foundation, around [1 in 5,000 people have Marfan syndrome](http://www.marfan.org/about/marfan) across all races and ethnicities, though only about half of those with the disorder know they have it. The majority of people with the disease inherited it from a parent, since children of an individual with the disease have a 50% chance of getting the mutated gene that causes the disorder. About 25% of people will be the first to have the gene, meaning the disease can also be spurred by what’s called a spontaneous mutation. It’s been rumored but not confirmed that Michael Phelps has Marfan syndrome, and in 1962, Cincinnati doctor Abraham Gordon was the first to [propose](http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1163795) that former president Abraham Lincoln suffered from the disease — just one of several theories to explain Abe’s lanky stature. Treatment for Marfan syndrome usually includes taking medication to make sure blood pressure stays in check so that heart strain stays low. In some cases, heart, spine or eye surgery may be necessary. “This is devastating news, but Isaiah has the best support system anyone could ask for, and he knows that all of Baylor Nation is behind him,” head coach Scott Drew said in a statement. “His health is the most important thing, and while it’s extremely sad that he won’t be able to play in the NBA, our hope is that he’ll return to Baylor to complete his degree and serve as a coach in our program.” ## Transcript Welcome to the brief for Monday, June 23rd. I'm Ben Goldberger. Here's what you need to know today. Secretary of State John Kerry is in Baghdad to meet with political leaders, as Sunni militants continue to seize large portions of Iraq. The United States's formal position is that it does not pick the country's leaders, but Kerry's visit is intended convince Iraqi leadership that it needs a new, more inclusive government in order to fend of the ISIS assault. Kerry's mission is especially vital after ISIS captured key crossings at the Syria and Iraq border over the weekend. Those passages are important footholds in the group's attempt to establish a Sunni state in the region. Next, more bad news out of the auto industry, but this time it's not coming from GM. Honda, Mazda and Nissan are recalling three million vehicles around the world because of defective airbags that could possibly explode, sending shrapnel flying. The faulty airbags are made by the Japanese company Takata, which is one of just three major suppliers of the technology. And, they call it the group of death for a reason, but all four teams in the World Cup's ultra competitive group G have a chance to advance after Portugal tied the US in the final seconds of Sunday's match. For the Americans, it all comes down to Thursday's game against Germany. Win or tie, they move on. If they lose, it gets trickier. Basically, the US needs Portugal and Ghana to tie, or Portugal to beat Ghana by a low score. And finally, a basketball star's NBA dream has been derailed by a rare genetic disorder. Former Baylor player, Isaiah Austin, was diagnosed with Marfan syndrome, after a standard physical turned up abnormalities. The disorder affects the connective tissues that hold the body cells together and can be especially stressful on the heart. That's it for today. Check back tomorrow for the brief. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/2911667/isaiah-austin-marfan-syndrome/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/2911667/isaiah-austin-marfan-syndrome/"},"headline":"Basketball Star's NBA Dreams Crushed by Marfan Syndrome Diagnosis","datePublished":"2014-06-23T14:45:23.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-21T08:33:58.955Z","description":"Isaiah Austin was diagnosed with Marfan syndrome. 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