Basic Summary for Muscular Dystrophy

Main name of condition: Muscular Dystrophy
Other names or spellings:

What is Muscular Dystrophy?
  Brief description of Muscular Dystrophy: Any of various muscle wasting diseases
  Parent types of Muscular Dystrophy: Myopathy
  Organs Affected by Muscular Dystrophy: muscles
  Types of Muscular Dystrophy: Myotonic Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Becker Muscular Dystrophy, Limb-girdle Muscular Dystrophy, Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy, Congenital Muscular Dystrophy, Oculopharyngeal Muscular Dystrophy, Distal Muscular Dystrophy, Emery-Dreifuss Muscular Dystrophy, Myotonic Dystrophy

How many people get Muscular Dystrophy?
Incidence (annual) of Muscular Dystrophy: 7 annual cases in Victoria 1996 (DHS-VIC)
Incidence Rate of Muscular Dystrophy: approx 1 in 651,450 or 0.00% or 417 people in USA [about data]

How serious is Muscular Dystrophy?
Prognosis of Muscular Dystrophy: The prognosis of MD varies according to the type of MD and the progression of the disorder. Some cases may be mild and very slowly progressive, with normal lifespan, while other cases may have more marked progression of muscle weakness, functional disability and loss of ambulation. Life expectancy may depend on the degree of progression and late respiratory deficit. In Duchenne MD, death usually occurs in the late teens to early 20s. ¹
Complications of Muscular Dystrophy: see complications of Muscular Dystrophy

What causes Muscular Dystrophy?
Risk factors for Muscular Dystrophy: see risk factors for Muscular Dystrophy

What are the symptoms of Muscular Dystrophy?
Symptoms of Muscular Dystrophy: see symptoms of Muscular Dystrophy

How is it treated?
Treatments for Muscular Dystrophy: see treatments for Muscular Dystrophy

Footnotes:
1. excerpt from NINDS Muscular Dystrophy (MD) Information Page: NINDS

Last revision: June 4, 2003

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