To understand whether Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) can be prevented, one should first understand what type of disease DMD is.
Some diseases, such as the common cold, can generally be prevented with good personal hygiene. This is because the common cold is an infectious disease that is transmitted from person to another through air droplets. Generally, these diseases can be prevented by taking medical precautions, such as hand-washing and the wearing of a face mask. However, DMD is not an infectious disease and cannot be transmitted from one person to another through human contact.
DMD is also not a disease that can be prevented when pre-symptoms become apparent, such as in the case of migraines. Many patients with migraines experience pre-symptoms that alert them to the possibility of having a migraine in the near future, which can then be prevented by medication or lifestyle changes. This option is not a possibility in DMD.
Learn more about DMD causes and risk factors
Understanding the genetic nature of DMD
The key aspect of understanding DMD is that it is a genetic disorder which is passed from a parent to an offspring. Specifically, DMD is inherited in an X-linked recessive manner. Let’s break down what that means.
Every male contains XY chromosomes, while every female contains XX chromosomes. When a mother (with XX chromosomes) carries the DMD gene mutation, she may pass on one of her diseased X chromosomes to her son. If this son receives the diseased X chromosome, he will have DMD. This is because a son must receive an X chromosome from his mother, as the Y chromosome can only come from his father.
A daughter (with XX chromosomes) receives one X chromosome from her father, and another X chromosome from her mother. Therefore, even if her mother is affected by DMD, as long as her father is unaffected, the worst that can happen is that she becomes a DMD carrier.
Lastly, a father affected by DMD will have no effect on his sons. This is because DMD is carried on the X chromosome. Because a son must receive the Y chromosome from his father to be male, his father’s X chromosome has no genetic bearing on whether he will be affected by DMD.
The role of genetic counseling
If you understand how genetic diseases work, it is relatively easy to predict the odds that an offspring will be affected by a particular disease. If the explanation above still leaves you confused, don’t worry — you can always consult your doctor, who will be able to explain these matters in greater detail. Alternatively, your doctor may refer you to a genetic counselor, who will be able to explain to you how DMD is passed on genetically from one generation to the next.
DMD is an incurable disorder that is progressive in nature. This means that there is currently no curative treatment for this disease, and it is expected to worsen as time progresses.
The only way in which DMD can be prevented is through your reproductive choices. In other words, if you or your partner is affected by DMD, you can prevent passing on the disease to your offspring by making reproductive decisions based on genetic realities. Once again, a qualified genetic counselor may help guide you through this deeply personal process.
The takeaway
DMD is a genetic disorder that is inherited in an X-linked recessive manner. While this disease cannot be prevented in the traditional sense, you can potentially prevent passing this disease onto a future offspring with medical information you can obtain from your physician or a genetic counselor.
