New DMD bone health leaflet for patients, parents and caregivers
DMD Care UK – a collaboration between Duchenne UK and the John Walton Muscular Dystrophy Research Centre – has published a new guide on bone health and care for people with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) to help patients, parents and caregivers.
Clinical recommendations for bone care
It explains the clinical recommendations for bone care that were produced by DMD Care UK’s Bone and Endocrine working group, chaired by Dr Jarod Wong.
Bone care for DMD patients
It is crucial that people with DMD receive the highest standards of care for their bones as they are at high risk of developing osteoporosis. This is a condition where bones become weak and fragile and break or fracture more easily.
There are several reasons for this. One is that muscle weakness leads to reduced physical activity, which makes bones thinner and weaker. Another is the long-term use of steroid medicines, while useful for the muscles, cause thinning of the bones and low bone density. Steroid use also delays puberty which is important for bone strength, especially increasing the thickness of bones.
What is in the leaflet
- How bone health is monitored, as people with DMD should be checked regularly to identify the signs of osteoporosis early.
- How to help prevent osteoporosis, as although there is currently no medication to prevent it, there are a range of measures that can help keep bones healthy for longer.
- How to treat osteoporosis, which includes medication such as bisphosphonates.
- How to manage vertebral fractures.
The leaflet can be downloaded here, and you can find all of our DMD Care UK recommendations and leaflets here.