Lindsey Shapiro, PhD, science writer —

Researchers using a mouse model discovered two possible approaches for restoring more normal wound healing in classical Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (cEDS). Both help to beneficially modulate a network of molecules called the extracellular matrix (ECM). The ECM is important for providing structure and support to cells and for promoting wound…

Young adults with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) exhibit signs of an imbalance in the body’s autonomic nervous system, according to a recent study. The autonomic nervous system is responsible for regulating involuntary bodily functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, and digestion. The observed imbalance was linked to…

People with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) produced less force when extending their hips during walking and had weaker muscles associated with hip extension compared to healthy people, according to a recent analysis. Researchers believe this muscle weakness may contribute to joint instability and related joint damage that tends to…

Children with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) and hypermobility spectrum disorder (HSD) who are in pain or anticipating pain show certain walking patterns, leading researchers to believe walking assessments may help to better understand clinical characteristics of the conditions and to develop coping strategies. Compared with typically developing children, those…

A condition called cerebral venous outflow disorder, where blood flow out of the brain is impaired, may have a unique clinical presentation when it occurs in people with connective tissue disorders such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), according to recent research. People with connective tissue diseases who were seen at…

Components of the extracellular matrix (ECM), the network of molecules that gives tissues their structure, are dysregulated in skin cells from people with vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (vEDS), making it a possible target for therapeutic intervention, a recent study suggests. The ECM took on properties…

Abnormally high sensitivity of a type of sensory nerve fibers is behind the heightened pain responses to harmless light touch that were observed in a mouse model of classical-like Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (clEDS), a study shows. This abnormal pain sensation, called mechanical allodynia, is a main symptom of neuropathic pain…

A 23-year-old man in Greece was diagnosed with vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (vEDS) about two years after his symptoms of recurrent bowel ruptures had started, according to a recent case report. While gastrointestinal involvement as the first sign of EDS has been reported, the rarity of the disease and its…

Stress in a cell compartment called the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) may cause irregularities in collagen fibrils that underlie the serious blood vessel-related symptoms of vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (vEDS), according to a recent study. Patients who had more irregular collagen fibrils — major structural units of cells — tended to…

A nine-week multidisciplinary rehabilitation program was associated with improved exercise capacity, reduced fatigue, better balance, and greater life quality for people with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) in a small study. Many of these benefits — and new ones — were evident six weeks and six months after the rehab…