What are the causes or risk factors of muscular dystrophy?
What are the causes or risk factors of muscular dystrophy?
Lifestyle Risk Factors
- Being underweight as measured by the body mass index.
- Having poor lung function.
- Having a high blood concentration of a protein linked to cardiac damage.
What is the cause and effect of muscular dystrophy?
Muscular dystrophy is a group of inherited diseases that damage and weaken your muscles over time. This damage and weakness is due to the lack of a protein called dystrophin, which is necessary for normal muscle function. The absence of this protein can cause problems with walking, swallowing, and muscle coordination.
What are some causes of muscular diseases?
Summary
- Injury or overuse, such as sprains or strains, cramps or tendinitis.
- A genetic disorder, such as muscular dystrophy.
- Some cancers.
- Inflammation, such as myositis.
- Diseases of nerves that affect muscles.
- Infections.
- Certain medicines.
What are the causes of Duchenne muscular dystrophy?
It is caused by a genetic mutation on one of the mother’s X chromosomes, and researchers have identified some of the affected genes. Duchenne muscular dystrophy is caused by a genetic problem in producing dystrophin, a protein that protects muscle fibers from breaking down when exposed to enzymes.
What gene mutation causes muscular dystrophy?
Mutations in the DMD gene cause the Duchenne and Becker forms of muscular dystrophy. The DMD gene provides instructions for making a protein called dystrophin . This protein is located primarily in skeletal and cardiac muscle, where it helps stabilize and protect muscle fibers.
What are the risk factors of DMD?
Risk factors for Duchenne muscular dystrophy identified
- Underweight (average 17.3 BMI, or body mass index, versus 25.8 average BMI in those who survived the study);
- Poorer lung function, measured in terms of the highest pressure during inhalation;
Why is muscular dystrophy more common in males?
The DMD gene is located on the X chromosome, so Duchenne muscular dystrophy is an X-linked disease and mostly affects males because they have only one copy of the X-chromosome.
What type of mutation causes muscular dystrophy?
Who is at high risk for muscular dystrophy?
Muscular dystrophy occurs in both sexes and in all ages and races. However, the most common variety, Duchenne, usually occurs in young boys. People with a family history of muscular dystrophy are at higher risk of developing the disease or passing it on to their children.
What is the life expectancy of muscular dystrophy?
It usually appears between the ages of 2 and 16 but can appear as late as age 25. Like Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Becker muscular dystrophy affects only males (1 in 30,000) and causes heart problems. Disease severity varies. Those with Becker can usually walk into their 30s and live further into adulthood.
What are the first signs of muscular dystrophy?
Pain and stiffness in muscles
What are the symptoms of muscular dystrophy?
problems with coordination and mobility with frequent falls
