Muscular Dystrophy Affects Primarily Latino Boys

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A recent study by the University of Iowa, found muscular dystrophy affects primarily boys—especially Latinos.

The team of researchers discovered Duchenne or Becker muscular dystrophy, a genetic disorder which results in muscle weakness over time, affects 1 in 5,000 young boys.

For the study, researchers analyzed data “ culled mostly from birth and death certificates and medical records—for children born between 1982 and 2011 in six states: Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, and western New York. They calculated the disorders’ prevalence across four five-year time periods, beginning in the 1991-1995 period and ending in 2006-2010.”

Latino children had a higher prevalence of the disease, while African-American children had the lowest.

“People who have these disorders require daily attention from their families and complex-care management from health-care providers,” says Paul Romitti, professor in the UI College of Public Health. “The new data will help to estimate the cost for the parents and the health-care system. We are continuing to learn more about the total impact of these disorders on the child and the family.”

Duchenne muscular dystrophy, predominantly affects males and results in loss of walking ability “between ages 7-13 years, and death in the teens or 20’s”

Becker is very similar to Duchenne, but has a slower and more variable progression of symptoms.