
Muscular dystrophy is a genetic disease that weakens and wastes away skeletal muscle. There are 30 different types of muscular dystrophy that fall into nine major categories. Learn what the symptoms of muscular dystrophy are, how you get muscular dystrophy, and what treatments there are for muscular dystrophy. Read more: How Many Types of Muscular Dystrophy Are There? Article
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Genetics: 11 Surprising Things Your Genes Say About You
Explore what role DNA plays in your health, love life, and more in this WebMD slideshow.
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Family Health History: Genetics, DNA Testing and Your Health
WebMD explains why your doctor asks about your relatives' health conditions and how you can get the information if you don’t know.
Related Disease Conditions
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Genetic Diseases
The definition of a genetic disease is a disorder or condition caused by abnormalities in a person's genome. Some types of genetic inheritance include single inheritance, including cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, Marfan syndrome, and hemochromatosis. Other types of genetic diseases include multifactorial inheritance. Still other types of genetic diseases include chromosome abnormalities (for example, Turner syndrome, and Klinefelter syndrome), and mitochondrial inheritance (for example, epilepsy and dementia).
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Down Syndrome
Get the facts on Down syndrome, a genetic disorder caused by an additional set of chromosomes in a developing fetus. Down syndrome signs and symptoms include distinctive facial features, growth retardation, and decreased mental function and IQ. Blood tests and ultrasound may be used to screen for Down syndrome but chromosome analysis of the fetus is needed to diagnose the condition. People with Down syndrome age more quickly and may develop Alzheimer's disease as young as age 40. Sometimes people are diagnosed with mosaic Down syndrome, in which case they have more than one type of chromosomal makeup.
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How Long Can you Live With Muscular Dystrophy?
What is muscular dystrophy? Learn the signs of muscular dystrophy, what causes it, how doctors diagnose it, and how to treat it.
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What Is the Best Treatment for Muscular Dystrophy?
Learn what medical treatments can help with your muscular dystrophy symptoms and speed up your recovery.
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What Is an X Mutation?
X-linked refers to any ailment that has an X chromosomal connection. Mammals normally have two copies of the X chromosome in females and one in males, which is referred to as a sex chromosome. Compared to the Y chromosome, which has only about 70 protein-coding genes, the X chromosome in humans contains about 800 protein-coding genes. The genes located in the X chromosome are referred to as X-linked genes.
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What Is Muscular Dystrophy?
There are more than 30 types of muscular dystrophy that cause progressive muscle weakness, including Duchenne Becker (DMD), Becker (BMD), and more. Muscular dystrophy symptoms also include scoliosis (sideways curved spine), difficulty in walking or running, dysphagia (difficulty swallowing), muscle pain, breathing problems, and others.
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Who Should Get Genetic Counselling?
Genetic counseling is the process that helps you in determining hereditary or genetic (running in your family) problems that might affect you or your family. It is done by a trained professional.
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Muscular Dystrophy Types & Causes of Each Form
Muscular dystrophies are a group of genetic diseases causing progressive weakness and loss of muscle mass. There are more than 30 types of muscular dystrophy that result in muscle weakness. Over time, the muscles get weaker, disturbing the gait (a person’s manner of walking) and the ability to perform daily activities.
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