Lindsey Shapiro, PhD,  science writer—

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…

Chronic pain was prevalent among people with classical Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (cEDS), strongly affecting life quality and emotional health, according to a recent study. cEDS patients also exhibited abnormal sensory perceptions and heightened pain responses compared with healthy people. The authors, who touted the study as the first to systematically…

A pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), used for identifying genetic abnormalities in embryos during in vitro fertilization (IVF), may help women with vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (vEDS) who want children, a recent case report shows. A woman with vEDS successfully used PGD to have two biological children via surrogacy. Neither were…

Two cases of vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (vEDS) were diagnosed during the treatment of severe eye-related problems and later found to be vEDS-associated complications, according to a recent report from Romania. While these complications were considered life-threatening for the young adults, prompt identification of their underlying cause enabled both patients…

Treatment of kidney stones can be safely done in people with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) so long as certain modifications are made, a new case report from Japan highlights. A woman in her 30s with EDS, experiencing abdominal pain, was successfully treated after clinicians took into account her physical status —…

A two-week virtual mindfulness program led to quality of life improvements for people with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) and hypermobility spectrum disorder (HSD), according to a recent pilot study. Patients reported benefits of the exercise included increased bodily awareness and reduced pain intensity, but participants noted a need for…

Using genetic testing, researchers in Japan identified 16 new COL3A1 gene mutations associated with vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (vEDS), according to a recent case series. A range of different types of mutations was identified — each associated with a different level of disease severity and symptoms, or clinical presentation. “This is…

Most families affected by Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) feel their medical care needs are not being met, according to a survey of patients and caregivers in the midwestern U.S. Survey respondents believe they or their child would benefit from an integrated and multidisciplinary team, with an ideal approach including pain…

A higher incidence of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) is evident in people with gastroparesis — a condition in which the stomach doesn’t properly empty itself of food — than would be expected among the general public, researchers reported. Genetic analysis revealed that mutations in genes associated with EDS, in particular…

Mortality rates following surgery for certain complications of the aorta — the main artery that carries blood away from the heart — are low among people with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), a study has found. But non-elective or emergency hospital admissions were linked to a greater mortality risk, data show.