( CNN ) -- Four days before Baylor University basketball star Isaiah Austin hoped to be drafted into the NBA , his dreams of playing in the pros were extinguished by a rare genetic disease called Marfan syndrome . `` I had a dream that my name was going to be called , '' Austin told ESPN . But after a standard physical , test results revealed he had Marfan syndrome . `` They said I would n't be able to play basketball no more , at a competitive level . ... They told me my arteries and my heart are enlarged , and that if I overwork myself or push myself , my heart could rupture . '' Marfan syndrome is caused by a genetic mutation that leaves connective tissue in the body weak , according to the National Institutes of Health . The defective gene can also cause excessive growth of longer bones in the body , although it 's not clear why this happens . People with Marfan syndrome are usually very tall and thin . They often have longer than usual arms , legs , fingers and toes , according to the NIH . Austin , at 7-foot-1 , matches this description . The center from Arlington , Texas , revealed during his sophomore season at Baylor that he is blind in his right eye as a result of a detached retina he suffered as a teenager . He was expected to be the first partially blind player in the NBA . Eye problems are a common effect of Marfan syndrome . Curved spines , chests that stick out or sink in , flexible joints , and stretch marks not related to weight gain or loss are also visible signs of Marfan syndrome . Less visible , and often unnoticed until it 's too late : weak parts of the aorta -- the large artery that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body -- which can tear or rupture . Leaky heart valves that can cause a heart murmur are also among the symptoms . As devastating as the news may be for Austin , getting this diagnosis now may be a lifesaver . `` People with Marfan syndrome can live a long life if they are diagnosed and treated with medication and , when necessary , surgery , '' Carolyn Levering , president and CEO of The Marfan Foundation , said in a statement . `` Competitive and contact sports need to be halted to protect the fragile aorta . Otherwise , it is prone to tear and possibly rupture , which would cause sudden death . '' `` While it is disappointing for Isaiah that he can not pursue a career in the NBA , receiving the diagnosis before a fatal episode is truly a gift . '' Nearly 30 years ago , American volleyball player Flo Hyman was playing in a Japanese league . After being taken out of a game for a routine substitution , Sports Illustrated reported in 1986 , she sat on the bench , slid to the floor and died . Her diagnosis of Marfan syndrome was made only after her family requested an autopsy . Hyman never knew she was playing with a dime-sized weak spot on her aorta that burst during the game . The Marfan Foundation estimates about 200,000 people in the United States have Marfan syndrome or a related disorder ; about half do n't know it . Most people who have Marfan syndrome inherit it from their parents , according to the NIH , though a quarter of the cases are not inherited . There is no cure for Marfan syndrome , but getting regular checkups , having surgery , taking medications and wearing a medical alert bracelet can help someone living with the disease have the best possible outcome .
Presidential hopeful Isaiah Austin diagnosed with the syndrome . Marfan syndrome is a rate genetic disease that makes connective tissue weak . Defective gene can cause excessive bone loss , kidney problems .