How long do you live with Duchenne muscular dystrophy?

The breathing or heart problems usually become more serious for older teenagers or people in their 20s. In the past, most people with DMD did not live beyond their early 20s. Improvements in treatment have meant that life expectancy has increased. At present, average life expectancy for people with DMD is 27 years.

What is Becker’s disease?

Benign pseudohypertrophic muscular dystrophy; Becker’s dystrophy. Becker muscular dystrophy is an inherited disorder that involves slowly worsening muscle weakness of the legs and pelvis. Tendons connect muscles to their bony origins and insertions.

How is DMD diagnosed?

The doctor will take a sample of your child’s blood and test it for creatine kinase, an enzyme that your muscles release when they are damaged. A high CK level is a sign that your child could have DMD. Gene tests. Doctors can also test the blood sample to look for a change in the dystrophin gene that causes DMD.

Who is the oldest person with Duchenne muscular dystrophy?

The oldest DMD patient he knows is a 54-year-old man in the Netherlands, who had two brothers with Duchenne; one died at 15, the other at 41. “I know quite a few older people with Duchenne who have all sorts of different mutations,” Rey-Hastie said.

What are usually the first signs of muscular dystrophy?

Signs and symptoms, which typically appear in early childhood, might include:

• Frequent falls.
• Difficulty rising from a lying or sitting position.
• Trouble running and jumping.
• Waddling gait.
• Walking on the toes.
• Large calf muscles.
• Muscle pain and stiffness.
• Learning disabilities.

What age does Becker muscular dystrophy start?

BMD’s onset varies widely from 5 to 60 years of age,1 and the course is slower and less predictable than that of DMD. Generalized weakness first affects muscles of the hips, pelvic area, thighs, and shoulders. Calves are often enlarged. There can be significant heart involvement.

What is the life expectancy of someone with Becker muscular dystrophy?

Duchenne muscular dystrophy is the most common type of muscular dystrophy. Life expectancy with this type is around the ages of 16 to the early 20s. Becker muscular dystrophy has higher life expectancy, usually in the 30s. Some muscular dystrophies are highly variable, such as congenital, Emery-Dreifuss, and myotonic.

Can a girl get DMD?

Girls can only develop DMD if they have faults on both their dystrophin genes. Girls and women can also be ‘manifesting carriers’. They experience similar, often milder, symptoms of DMD. Find out more about how DMD is inherited on our Understanding Duchenne page.

How long does a child with muscular dystrophy live?

Until recently, children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) did not often live beyond their teens. However, improvements in cardiac and respiratory care mean that life expectancy is increasing, with many DMD patients reaching their 30s, and some living into their 40s and 50s.