Why are Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) and Becker Muscular Dystrophy (BMD) discussed together?
DMD and BMD cause similar patterns of weakness and disability and are inherited in the same way. Weakness and disability are more severe in DMD than in BMD. Becker dystrophy is like a less severe form of Duchenne dystrophy. Recently it was shown that DMD and BMD are due to defects of the same gene. The normal function of the gene is to enable muscle fibres to make a particular chemical substance, a protein called dystrophin. Muscle fibres in people affected with DMD are extremely deficient in dystrophin, in BMD the deficiency is less severe.
