What Is Muscular Dystrophy?

There are several different types of muscular dystrophy, diseases characterized by progressive muscle weakness and expense.

Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy primarily affects the muscles used for movement (skeletal muscles) and heart muscle. The earliest symptoms are joint deformities called contractions that restrict the movement of the elbows, ankles and neck. Affected individuals also experience muscle weakness and progresses slowly spending the upper arms and lower legs and moving your shoulders and hips. Before adulthood, most people with Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy have heart problems. These come from abnormal heart rhythms and defects with electrical signals that control the heartbeat. Untreated, these heart problems may lead to a slow heartbeat, fainting, increased risk of stroke, and increased risk of sudden death.

There are three different types of Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy, distinguished by how the disease is inherited. The x-linked form is more common, affecting approximately one person in a hundred thousand. The other two forms are more rare.

Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy can also be known as EDMD, Emery-Dreifuss syndrome, muscular dystrophy and benign scapuloperoneal early contractions.

Duchenne and Becker types of muscular dystrophy primarily affects the skeletal muscles and heart muscles. These two types of muscular dystrophy have similar symptoms, including muscle weakness appearing in infancy and progress rapidly. Heart problems usually begin in the teenage years and can be life threatening. The Duchenne type is often more severe and progresses more rapidly after appearing in early childhood, the kind of Becker has milder symptoms with a wide range of variation and may appear later in childhood.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy is the most common form of the disease in children. Together, the types of Becker and Duchenne muscular dystrophy affects one or two male children of five thousand. In the United States, between four six hundred boys are born with the disease each year. Women are rarely affected by these forms of muscular dystrophy.