New Muscular Dystrophy Guidelines For Subtypes Of The Disease

Recent findings published in the journal Neurology offer new guidelines in testing for a subtype of limb-girdle or distal muscular dystrophy.

Researchers at the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) and the American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine (AANEM) reviewed all available studies on this genetic disease that damages the muscle fibers.

"The guideline should help physicians arrive at the right diagnosis quicker so patients will not need to take unnecessary test", said Mayo Clinic neurologist Duygu Selcen, M.D., who was part of the multi-center research team led by Julie Bolen, PhD, MPH, from the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in a news release. 

"This is particularly important because the muscle diseases are often hard to diagnose", added Dr. Selcen.

While there is no cure for muscular dystrophy-including the several known subtypes of limbgirdle muscular dystrophy and distal muscular dystrophy-experts are continuing to discover new subtypes and guidelines that can help to shorten the time with the right treatments.

If those suffering from the health issue notice their heart beating too fast or skipping beats, shortness of breath and pain or difficulty in swallowing, they should tell their doctor immediately as treatments are readily available. Certain types of exercises are also available to help the issue along with various medications to ease the progression of the health issue.

The development of the guideline was funded in part by a grant from the CDC and the guideline was endorsed by the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Child Neurology Society, Jain Foundation and Muscular Dystrophy Association.