I have been told that I should have regular heart tests. Why is this needed if Myotonic Dystrophy is a muscle disease?
The heart is made of muscle, and can be affected, especially the part that conducts the heartbeat. Some patients develop an irregular heartbeat which may need specialist tests and treatment, and some develop a slow heartbeat because if slow conduction through the heart tissue. It can be picked up at an early stage by ECG, and this is advisable since it is simple and painless. There is no increased risk of having a “coronary thrombosis”. The symptoms you might experience if you are having heart problems are blackouts, feeling faint, actually fainting, feeling dizzy, intermittently going very pale or having a feeling of your heart beating very fast or irregularly (palpitations). If you have any of these you should see your doctor about them.
