Alhthough there are well developed diagnostic criteria for Marfan, establishing a definitive diagnosis means ruling out dozen of other conditions that can lead to a similar body shape, including such mundane things as above average height. Marfan is incurable, but once a diagnosis is established, physicians can be on the lookout for the beginning of many issues and take preventative and maintenance steps to improve their quality of life. As a result, the average life span of Marfan patients has been growing over the past several decades.