It is strange how our muscles respond to various outside pressures. With such a complex manufacturing, it is strange how things are calculated in our mind and how they are reverted with full swing. Similarly, strange is the fact how these muscles slowly and gradually wean out. But, stranger is the fact how people associate this weakness with strange myths.
Only boys fall ill with Duchenne muscular dystrophy
While it is true that males are the ones who are widely affected by muscular dystrophy, it will be invertibly wrong to say that girls are not at all affected by it. Of course, because of the X-linked recessive pattern, boys have 50% more chances of inheriting this disease; it does not mean at all that girls won’t have it. Muscle dystrophy is a neuromuscular disorder, which implies it can affect anybody, boys or girls, with variations in the percentage only. One must understand here that this an autosomal disorder and it can certainly affect anybody.
It’s not genetic
If one thinks that this recessive disease is non-genetic, then they are wrong. It is as true as the fact that all genetic disorders do not pop up at the end of the day. For some of the genetically inherited disease, it takes years to show subtle signs of being there inside your body. And, Duchenne muscular dystrophy is one of those genetic diseases which take time to show up. This recessive X-linked form of muscular dystrophy is the result of mutation of dystrophin gene residing in X chromosome, Xp21. As this disease is transmitted in X-linked recessive pattern, boys are more likely to get affected by it.
It is a motor neuron disease
In the days when research about Duchenne muscular dystrophy was going on, there were propositions that it is motor neuron disease in which motor neurons where affected. Gradually, with advanced technology and better understanding it was concluded that it one of the nine types of muscular dystrophy which primarily affects the voluntarily muscles. With this discovery, diagnosis and treatment of this life affecting disease became easy. Further findings concluded that this disease is caused due to absence of a protein called dystrophin; it became easier to produce medicines to fulfill the requirement of this protein.
Milkshakes and bodybuilding supplements can ward off muscular dystrophy
Strangely enough, a lot of people around EU and US believe that body supplements can, in fact, put an end to muscle dystrophy. Unfortunately, this is not true. Howsoever and whatsoever one takes as supplement, if not difficult, it’s also not so easy to move out of this disease. The practical fact is that it’s a genetically inherited disease which needs proper medical guidance and care. Until and unless one goes for a biopsy and a medical supervision, one is not going to get a permanent solution.
Prenatal test cannot determine presence of DMD
It’s a medically proven fact that duchenne muscular dystrophy is carried by X-linked recessive gene. That means, fathers cannot in any way transfer this abnormality to his kids; it’s only the mother through whom this muscular disorder is passed. The good thing is that pre-natal tests can actually tell whether this disease will be passed on to the progeny. Generally, CVS or amniocentesis is done to check out the disorder. And seeing the bad effects of this disorder, one must go for a complete diagnosis while in gestation.
Physical activity of any sort is bad for Duchenne muscular dystrophy
Did someone say that daily routine is not good for Duchenne muscular dystrophy or a patient of this disease must take a bed rest? Anyone who said that certainly does not know anything about this disease. The fact is that scientific studies have shown that physical activities like swimming, walking, doing daily chores on one’s own actually help in recovery. On the contrary, complete bed rest is a big ‘no’ in case of Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
People with Duchenne muscular dystrophy die too fast, too young
Although it is true that one cannot expect a life of 70 years for a Duchenne muscular dystrophy patient, but it would be wrong to say that they die too young! Patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy often live up to the age of 30-35 years. In fact, there have been cases of people living a normal life till the age of 50 years, and this has been only because of their grit and determination. In one of the campaigns of The Muscular Dystrophy Campaign by a United Kingdom charity, it was discovered that some people are living life with this disease at the age of 50 years: all because of their determination and love of their near ones.
Stem cell therapy is of no use for Duchenne muscular dystrophy
It was long ago discovered that stem cells can be really good for Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients. The only problem was frequent injecting of 2 mm of myotubes. However, in recent research this problem has been circumvented. Today, the multi-potent stem cells, pericytes, are injected arterially, which crosses the arterial walls and goes directly into the muscle, where they work on different functional muscles. Thus, one can be rest assured that stem cell therapy is good for treatment of this disease.
DNA testing is not good enough to diagnose Duchenne muscular dystrophy
It’s not always that a DNA test will get the best diagnosis, but there are good enough chances that it will find out this disorder. It goes like this: the muscle specific isoform of dystrophin gene is made up of 79 exons and the DNA test is generally good enough to catch it. In 99% cases it is able to do so. However, even if one cannot find anything and still one needs more investigations, further tests are suggested.
