Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is one of several kinds of Muscular Dystrophy. It afflicts only boys beginning in early childhood. Children diagnosed with DMD lack dystrophin, a protein the human body uses to build and maintain muscles. The...
DNA is made up of a series of chemicals called nucleotide bases, which link together to form strands of DNA. These strands pair with other DNA strands to form a structure called the double helix. The sequence of nucleotide bases comprises...
The main function of the muscular system is to provide movement for the body. They muscular system is made up of three types of muscles: skeletal, smooth and cardiac. Skeletal muscle is the voluntary muscle whose movement can be controlled, smooth...
Creatine is an organic compound that your body produces in the liver and the kidneys. You can also get it from the consumption of meat and fish. Most of the creatine in your body is stored in your muscles as creatine phosphate, which is a source...
Muscular degenerative diseases, or muscular dystrophies, are a group of hereditary diseases in which muscles are progressively destroyed. According to "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine," most are diagnosed early in life and lead to a...
There are over 600 muscles in the body that work together with tendons and ligaments to allow body movement. Skeletal muscle, also called voluntary muscle, is responsible for voluntary movement, such as lifting an arm. Smooth muscles line internal...
A physical examination by a doctor is often the first step toward diagnosing muscular dystrophy (MD) and identifying which specific type of the progressive disease you or your child has. The doctor will take a detailed family history and observe...
Muscle-building diseases affect every part of daily functioning, from breathing to walking. These health problems usually result from genetic disorders inherited from one or both parents. Because the body's muscles help with movement and aid in...
Muscle weakness is the primary symptom of muscular dystrophy (MD), though the age of onset and area of the body affected can vary depending on the type of MD. This is a progressive disease, so it may not reveal itself for quite some time. People...
Muscular dystrophy and cerebral palsy are disorders that affect muscles. Despite that similarity, there are clear differences between the two conditions, as described by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
Muscular diseases, also known as muscular dystrophies, are a group of more than 30 genetic diseases--or in some cases, nongenetic diseases--that are characterized by the degeneration and weakness of skeletal muscles responsible for movement,...
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, muscular dystrophy is a genetic disease that leads to progressive weakness and degeneration of the muscles that control movement. The most common form of muscular dystrophy...
People often say that children are our most precious gift. And yet there are diseases they can contract. Some diseases can be prevented by immunizations; but unfortunately, there are other diseases that cannot be prevented. Among these are the...
Degenerative muscle diseases cause progressive damage and loss of muscle cells with associated weakness. There are many types of degenerative muscle diseases, and they act in different ways to cause loss of functional muscle mass. The muscular...
Muscular dystrophy is a group of genetic, hereditary diseases that are progressive in nature. These diseases generally involve more than your muscles; in fact they may affect your cardiovascular, nervous, gastrointestinal, and endocrine systems....
The muscular system is composed of contractile tissues that allow the body to move. Sometimes, an underlying medical problem can lead the body to actually attack the muscles. In some cases, infection, viruses or parasites can lead to muscle...
A wide variety of diseases affect the muscular system. Genetic disorders, such as the muscular dystrophies, typically present in children. Inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, such as polymyositis and myasthenia gravis, usually are of adult...
Muscle growth, development and mass steadily increase from the moment a child is born. More than 600 muscles form in the human body and by the time your child surpasses puberty into late adolescence, his muscle mass is at peak levels. Genetic...
Children have the natural desire and energy to go full-tilt all day long, so it's a cause for concern when your child complains of weakness or appears lethargic. See your doctor immediately when symptoms of weakness in the back and other major...
Glutamic acid is a non-essential amino acid. A non-essential amino acid is an amino acid that is produced in the body from other substances and the body does not require a dietary intake of glutamic acid. Glutamic acid is mostly metabolized in...
Genetic diseases are caused by gene mutations that lead to abnormalities or deficiencies of necessary proteins or enzymes. This, in turn, makes the tissues or organs dysfunctional. Some genetic disorders result from spontaneous mutations during...
Childhood genetic disorders are caused by mutations or defects in the genes passed on to children from their parents. One important goal to keep in mind when helping children with disorders is to maximize their potential for a normal life. Besides...
Muscular dystrophy refers to a condition that solely involves the muscles while cerebral palsy affects muscles, hearing, speech, learning and thought processes.
Duchenne muscular dystrophy, or DMD, is the most prevalent childhood form of muscular dystrophy, reports that National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. The aberrant gene associated with DMD leads to an abnormal form of the protein...
According to MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the U.S. National Institutes of Health, there are numerous problems that can affect the body's muscles, and muscle disorders can cause pain, weakness or paralysis....
The muscles in your body make it possible to move. Muscles cover your bones and make up the bulk of your heart. In fact, your heart is the most important muscle in your body because it pumps blood to your organs. Even your blood vessels contain...
It is relatively common knowledge that as women age, the risk of having a baby with a chromosomal abnormality like Downs’ Syndrome increases. Because of such risks, if a woman will be older than 35 at the time that her baby is born, she is...
Most glycerin in the United States---in fact some 80 percent of it---is used in foods, medicines, cosmetics, other personal care products such as lotion and toothpaste, and in cigarettes. It's used for its lubricating properties and in cosmetics...
For all the advances in medicine, a way to change the genes of a living person has not been discovered. As such, genetic syndromes generally have no cure. In some genetic disorders, effective treatments have been developed to ameliorate symptoms,...
Muscular dystrophy is a hereditary muscular disease that causes progressive muscle weakness. Get expert tips and advice on diagnosing and treating muscular dystrophy in this video.
