Simply Stated: What is Myasthenia Gravis (MG)?

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a chronic neuromuscular disease characterized by muscle weakness that worsens after activity and improves after rest. MG is caused by an autoimmune reaction in which the body’s immune system attacks its own tissues, interrupting the connection between nerves and muscles (the neuromuscular junction). MG can occur at any age and affects . . .

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Simply Stated: What is Friedreich’s Ataxia (FRDA)?

Friedreich’s ataxia (FRDA) is an inherited neuromuscular disease that primarily impacts the nervous system and heart and affects about one in 50,000 people worldwide. FRDA typically appears in people before the age of 25 years and is characterized by a slow, progressive loss of limb coordination (ataxia) and effects on speech and swallowing. While there . . .

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Simply Stated: Inclusion Body Myositis, Revisited

Inclusion body myositis (IBM) is a rare, progressive muscle disease characterized by chronic muscle inflammation and weakness. It is estimated that approximately 20,000 people in the United States (US) have IBM, though the exact prevalence is unknown. IBM usually develops after age 50 and is more likely to affect men than women. The disease progresses . . .

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Simply Stated: What is Myotonic Dystrophy?

Myotonic dystrophy (DM) is a type of muscular dystrophy that affects about 1 in 8,000 people worldwide. The disease is known by several names, including Steinert disease, after the doctor that first described it, and “DM” in reference to its Greek name, dystrophia myotonica. Similar to other forms of muscular dystrophy, DM is characterized by . . .

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Simply Stated: Is Muscular Dystrophy Genetic?

The muscular dystrophies are a group of neuromuscular diseases that cause weakness and degeneration of the skeletal (voluntary) muscles. Muscular dystrophies are generally considered genetic diseases, or diseases that arise from genetic mutations, which can be either inherited or spontaneous. Some muscular dystrophies have been found to have a genetic component, which means a genetic . . .

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Simply Stated: What is Myasthenia Gravis?

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disease, which is a disease that occurs when the immune system goes awry and produces antibodies that attack the body’s own tissues. Normally, antibodies are created to rid the body of pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, and foreign substances. In MG, antibodies attack the connection between nerve and muscle . . .

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