Gujarat Earthquake Post your messages here on the health board Muscular Dystrophy Muscular dystrophy is a genetic disease which brings about an wasting of the muscles. This disease unfortunately has a very poor prognosis for the future of the affected. This muscle-wasting disorder, which affects boys almost exclusively, typically has its onset between the ages of two and five and progresses rapidly.
Few patients survive their early twenties.
There is no known cure, and no medication has yet been shown to be of value in arresting the disease. The first symptoms of DMD are difficulty in climbing stairs and rising to a standing position, a waddling gait, and frequent falls. The wasting of muscles usually begins in the lower trunk and calves, progresses to the upper trunk and arms, and eventually involves all of the major muscle groups. Causes Like the other muscular dystrophies, DMD is inherited - it is a genetic condition. When a disorder is transmitted in this way, only males are affected.