What is it?
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a rare genetic disorder primarily affecting boys. It is characterized by progressive muscle degeneration and weakness caused by alterations in a specific protein. DMD is associated with the most severe clinical symptoms among all the muscular dystrophies. The condition is caused by a genetic mutation on one of the mother’s X chromosomes, and researchers have identified some of the affected genes [1] [2].
What are its symptoms?
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a rare genetic disorder primarily affecting boys. It is characterized by progressive muscle degeneration and weakness caused by alterations in a specific protein. DMD is associated with the most severe clinical symptoms among all the muscular dystrophies. The condition is caused by a genetic mutation on one of the mother’s X chromosomes, and researchers have identified some of the affected genes [1] [2].
What do I need to consider?
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a rare genetic disorder primarily affecting boys. It is characterized by progressive muscle degeneration and weakness caused by alterations in a specific protein. DMD is associated with the most severe clinical symptoms among all the muscular dystrophies. The condition is caused by a genetic mutation on one of the mother’s X chromosomes, and researchers have identified some of the affected genes [1] [2].
References
- Johns Hopkins Medicine. “Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.” Retrieved from hopkinsmedicine.org. ↩
- National Human Genome Research Institute. “Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD).” Retrieved from genome.gov. ↩
- Cleveland Clinic. “Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD): Symptoms & Treatment.” Retrieved from my.clevelandclinic.org. ↩
- National Institutes of Health. “Duchenne muscular dystrophy.” Retrieved from rarediseases.info.nih.gov. ↩
- Muscular Dystrophy Association. “Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) – Diseases.” Retrieved from mda.org. ↩