Health
New Jersey twins receive matching heart surgeries after Marfan syndrome diagnosis: 'A better life'
The notion that twins do everything together has met a new standard.
Identical twin brothers Pablo and Julio Delcid, 21, underwent matching heart surgeries on the exact same day following their diagnosis of Marfan syndrome.
The duo, of Dover, New Jersey, had been alerted to their risk of Marfan syndrome because a majority of their family members also have it, the twins told Fox News Digital in an on-camera interview.
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“We’re a family of five. I have two older sisters who have it,” Julio Delcid said. “My older brother doesn’t have it as much … But I also have other family members who have it, too — pretty much through my whole family on my mom’s side.”
Left to right, Pablo Delcid and Julio Delcid celebrate Christmas with some of their family members. (Pablo and Julio Delcid)
“It’s very genetic,” Pablo Delcid added. “When we were younger and were first diagnosed with it, nobody knew what it was.”
He added, “Nobody knew they even had it until tests kept coming in, and they were like, ‘Yeah, it’s pretty genetic. Everyone should get tested.’”
What is Marfan syndrome?
Fox News Digital spoke with Dr. Benjamin Van Boxtel, surgical director at the Atlantic Aortic Center at Morristown Medical Center, in a separate interview about the condition; he performed the twins’ surgeries.
The cardiovascular surgeon said that while Marfan syndrome is mostly genetic, it can also occur at random. It’s a defect of the gene that creates connective tissues in the human body, he said.
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“Because it’s a broad defect in these connective tissues, it can affect many different parts of the body,” he said. “So, this could be anywhere from the eyes to the spine and … the heart.”
“The most dangerous symptom you could develop with Marfan syndrome is a dilation of the aorta, specifically in the root,” he added.
Van Boxtel said the aortic root in Marfan syndrome can become dilated or enlarged, which can cause an “immediately fatal” tear or rupture.
Van Boxtel holds up a “tube-shaped graft” model used during a valve sparing root operation, in which the surgeon “replaces the aortic root and then hand-sews leaflet by leaflet inside that graft.” (Angelica Stabile/Fox News Digital)
“Or it can cause something called an aortic dissection, which is also potentially very fatal, and becomes a surgical emergency,” he said. “That’s unfortunately how a lot of people who have Marfan syndrome pass away.”
Many of those people don’t even know they have the syndrome, Van Boxtel noted.
A valve-sparing root procedure performed before a dilated aorta dissects can be a life-saving operation.
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Marfan syndrome can be difficult to spot, according to Van Boxtel, as it’s often marked by common symptoms such as chest pain, poor vision — or being tall and having long limbs.
“When you have an aneurysm [from a] dilated aorta, it’s generally asymptomatic, meaning you feel absolutely nothing,” he said. “You feel completely fine … Aneurysm disease is silent, it’s asymptomatic — which can be really dangerous.”
Left to right, Julio Delcid, the twins’ mother, Betulia Miranda, and Pablo Delcid snap a selfie. (Pablo and Julio Delcid)
Pablo Delcid, for his part, said there’s “not much you can feel when you’re growing into the condition.”
He added, “What we didn’t know was that our bodies were changing … obviously with height, vision, the length of our arms, feet, legs, even with our chest.”
Surgery on the same day
The twins’ mother, Betulia Miranda, had an emergency procedure on Oct. 8, 2023, after experiencing an aortic dissection, which the boys described as “excruciating” for her.
After their mother’s surgery was a success, the twins decided to seek preventative surgery performed by Dr. Van Boxtel – but their one request was that they do it together.
“Of course they’re like, ‘Can we go at the same time?’” the doctor said with a laugh.
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Van Boxtel, a father of twins himself, said the double surgery was like “nothing I’ve ever done before.”
He said, “I’ve done this procedure hundreds of times. But to do it back-to-back on twin brothers — it was an experience, that’s for sure.”
It was decided that Pablo Delcid would go first, since he was born five minutes before his brother, followed by Julio Delcid several hours later.
Julio Delcid, left, and Pablo Delcid underwent heart surgery on Jan. 5, 2024. (Pablo and Julio Delcid)
“We always do everything together,” Pablo Delcid said. “We live together, go through everything together … We didn’t think we could get the operation done together, but everything [was] successful.”
The twins agreed that they felt “safer” knowing they were going through the procedure together.
“You kind of feel like you’re not going to lose that person,” Julio Delcid said. “They’re sticking with you, side by side.”
“Aneurysm disease is silent, it’s asymptomatic — which can be really dangerous.”
Pablo Delcid added, “It’s like your gut’s telling you, ‘All right, if I make it, he’s going to make it.’”
On surgery day, Jan. 5, 2024, Van Boxtel and his team distinguished the twins from one another using color-coded ankle bracelets.
The surgeon emphasized the rarity of double heart surgery on twins, especially at such a young age of 21. “This is like the ultimate twin study,” he said.
Van Boxtel said it was “freaky” when he realized that the brothers’ hearts were also identical.
“I knew they could be different on the inside, but it ended up that they were the exact same,” he said.
Julio Delcid said he was “shocked” that a surgeon like Van Boxtel could take on both surgeries back to back.
“He did the best he could,” he said. “He successfully saved our aortic valves, replacing the aneurysm … We were very appreciative.”
More about Marfan
Marfan syndrome affects about one in 5,000 people, according to Van Boxtel, and impacts men and women equally.
“About 75% of those cases are genetic,” he said. “But about 25% of Marfan cases are actually not inherited. They’re not from a parent. They’re a spontaneous mutation.”
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Along with a dilated aortic root (enlarged aorta) or narrow dissection (tear in an artery), patients also run the risk of having a leaky valve, which can lead to heart failure symptoms like shortness of breath, chest pain, dizziness and inability to perform normal exertional activity, Van Boxtel said.
Since Marfan syndrome is often hard to spot on the surface, the Delcid twins emphasized the importance of getting tested, especially for those within the Latin and Hispanic communities.
Julio Delcid said that those at risk of Marfan syndrome should “take the time to get yourself checked out.” (Pablo and Julio Delcid)
“It’s pretty lethal,” Pablo Delcid said. “We almost lost our mother, and that was a traumatic experience.”
People with symptoms or with a family history of Marfan syndrome should educate themselves on how best to prevent an aneurysm and connect with a cardiology team, Julio Delcid reiterated.
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“It’s just very important to take the time and the opportunity to get the best treatment that they could possibly get, because if they wait, consequences will happen later,” he said.
“Don’t fear anything. Just take the time to get yourself checked out and get the help that you need to live a better life.”
Looking ahead with new hope
With the stresses of heart surgery behind them, the twins said they’re looking forward to getting outside, playing sports and exercising more than they could before.
“Both their valves were saved,” Van Boxtel said. “They weren’t leaking at the end. All the things that we look for in a very successful repair they had, and they’re going to go on and live normal, healthy lives.”
“It’s a very serious problem … but there’s prevention available, and if you get it at the right time, it can be very successful.”
He said he hoped that “these valves last a really, really long time, if not the rest of their lives. They’re much better off now than they were walking around with aneurysms.”
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Van Boxtel thanked his team for handling the complex, same-day operations on young men with their “whole lives ahead of them.”
Dr. Benjamin Van Boxtel is a cardiovascular surgeon and the surgical director of the Atlantic Aortic Center at Morristown Medical Center. (Atlantic Health System)
The Marfan Foundation has various resources for patients at all stages of the condition, the doctor noted.
“I can’t underscore how important it is for patients with aneurysms to be seen by a surgeon or a team who is comfortable performing that,” he said.
“It’s a very, very serious problem … but there’s prevention available, and if you get it at the right time, it can be very successful.”
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Feeling lonely may take a toll on older adults’ memory — but it may not speed up cognitive decline, according to a new study.
Researchers from Colombia, Spain and Sweden analyzed data from more than 10,000 adults ages 65 to 94 across 12 European countries and found those who reported higher levels of loneliness did worse on memory tests at the start of the study, according to research published this month in the journal Aging & Mental Health.
Over a seven-year period, however, memory decline occurred at a similar rate regardless of how lonely participants felt.
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“The finding that loneliness significantly impacted memory, but not the speed of decline in memory over time was a surprising outcome,” lead author Dr. Luis Carlos Venegas-Sanabria of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences at the Universidad del Rosario said in a statement.
Loneliness may be linked to memory performance in older adults, a new study suggests. (iStock)
“It suggests that loneliness may play a more prominent role in the initial state of memory than in its progressive decline,” Venegas-Sanabria said, adding that the findings highlight the importance of addressing loneliness as a factor in cognitive performance.
The findings add to debate about whether loneliness contributes to dementia risk. While loneliness and social isolation are often considered risk factors for cognitive decline, research results have been mixed.
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The study looked at data from the long-running Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), which tracked 10,217 older adults between 2012 and 2019. Participants were asked to recall words immediately and after a delay to measure memory performance.
Social isolation and loneliness could play a surprising role in cognitive health among seniors. (iStock)
Loneliness was assessed using three questions about how often participants felt isolated, left out or lacking companionship.
About 8% of participants reported high levels of loneliness at the outset. That group tended to be older, more likely to be female and more likely to have conditions such as depression.
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Researchers found that those with higher loneliness had lower scores on both immediate and delayed memory tests at baseline. Still, all groups — regardless of loneliness level — experienced similar declines in memory over time.
The results suggest loneliness may not directly accelerate the progression of memory loss, though it remains linked to poorer cognitive performance overall.
Researchers look at a brain scan at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)
Experts warn, however, that the findings should not be interpreted to mean loneliness is harmless.
“The finding that lonely older adults start with worse memory but don’t decline faster is actually the most interesting part of the paper, and I think it’s easy to misread,” said Jordan Weiss, Ph.D., a scientific advisor and aging expert at Assisted Living Magazine and a professor at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.
“It likely means loneliness does its damage earlier in life, well before people show up in a study like this at 65-plus,” Weiss told Fox News Digital.
By older age, long-term social patterns may already be established, making it harder to detect when the effects of loneliness first took hold, an aging expert says. (iStock)
He suggested that by older age, long-term social patterns may already be established, making it harder to detect when the effects of loneliness first took hold.
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“By the time you’re measuring someone in their late 60s, decades of social connection patterns are already baked in,” he said.
Weiss, who was not involved in the research, added that loneliness may coincide with other health conditions, and noted that participants who felt more isolated also had higher rates of depression, high-blood pressure and diabetes. The link, he said, may reflect a cluster of health risks rather than a direct cause.
“While they can go hand-in-hand, it’s not clear that loneliness contributes to dementia,” a psychotherapist says. (iStock)
Amy Morin, a Florida-based psychotherapist and author, said the findings reflect a broader pattern in research on loneliness and brain health, and that the relationship may be more complex than it appears.
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“The evidence shows there’s a link between loneliness and cognitive decline but there’s no direct evidence of a cause and effect relationship,” she said. “So while they can go hand-in-hand, it’s not clear that loneliness contributes to dementia.”
Morin added that loneliness, which can fluctuate, may not be the root of the problem, but rather a symptom of other underlying mental or physical health issues.
Researchers suggested screening for loneliness be incorporated into routine cognitive assessments as one way to support healthy aging. (iStock)
She said staying socially and mentally engaged is crucial for overall brain health.
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“It’s important to be proactive about social activities,” Morin said. “Joining a book club, having coffee with a friend, or attending faith-based services can be a powerful way to maintain connections in older age.”
The researchers also suggested screening for loneliness be incorporated into routine cognitive assessments as one way to support healthy aging.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers for comment.
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Research continues to uncover new details on how fasting may help extend life.
A new study published in the journal Nature Communications investigated how intermittent fasting can boost longevity in small worms often used in aging research.
Researchers from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas compared worms that were fed normally to those that underwent a 24-hour fast in early adulthood and were then fed again, according to a press release.
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The scientists measured a variety of factors, including stored fat, gene activity related to fat metabolism and lifespan.
The results showed that the life-boosting benefit did not depend on the fasting itself but on the body’s behavior after eating again.
Experts say sustainability is key when choosing a long-term weight-loss strategy. (iStock)
Study lead Peter Douglas, associate professor of molecular biology and a member of the Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine at UT Southwestern, suggested that these discoveries “shift the focus toward a neglected side of the metabolic coin – the re-feeding phase.”
“Our data suggest that the health-promoting effects of intermittent fasting are not merely a product of the fast itself, but are dependent on how the metabolic machinery recalibrates during the subsequent transition back to a fed state,” he said.
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“Our findings bridge a gap between lipid metabolism and aging research,” he added. “By targeting aging, the single greatest risk factor for human disease, we move beyond treating isolated conditions toward a preventive model of medicine that enhances quality of life for all individuals.”
Lauri Wright, director of nutrition programs at the University of South Florida’s College of Public Health, called this a “high-quality” study that adds an “important nuance to how we think about fasting and longevity.”
Intermittent fasting typically involves limiting meals to an eight-hour daily window or fasting every other day. (iStock)
The benefits of the refeeding phase after fasting were “especially interesting,” Wright, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital.
“The researchers showed that longevity was linked to the body’s ability to turn off fat breakdown after fasting, allowing cells to restore energy balance,” she reiterated.
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“From a scientific standpoint, that’s a meaningful shift because it suggests fasting is not just about burning fat, but about metabolic flexibility.”
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Fasting may support longevity through triggering metabolic switching, enhancing cellular repair and stress resistance and improving markers like insulin sensitivity, research shows.
Limitations and cautions
Although this study provides “important insight” on the power of refeeding, Wright noted that the findings should be approached with caution, as the study was done on worms and cannot always be translated to humans.
“Additionally, it explains how a process might work in a controlled lab condition rather than real-world eating behaviors,” she added as a limitation. “Finally, the study is short-term and doesn’t give us the long-term translation on lifespan outcomes.”
The review found intermittent fasting was barely more effective than doing nothing, according to the study authors. (iStock)
Wright cautioned that fasting is “not a magic solution for longevity, and how you eat overall matters more than when you eat.”
“I advise, first and foremost, to focus on diet quality, including a variety of fruits and vegetables, healthy fats and minimally processed foods,” she said.
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For those who are considering fasting, it’s better to stick with a moderate plan — like a 12- to 14-hour overnight fast — rather than going to extremes, Wright said. After fasting, she recommends focusing on well-balanced meals.
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Several groups of people should be cautioned against fasting, according to Wright, including those with diabetes who are on insulin or hypoglycemic medications, those who are pregnant or breastfeeding, anyone with a history of eating disorders and older adults at risk of malnutrition.
Anyone considering intermittent fasting should consult with a doctor before starting.
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