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Becker muscular dystrophy affects the muscles of the hips, pelvic area, thighs and shoulders, as well as the heart.
Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) is one of nine types of muscular dystrophy, a group of
genetic, degenerative diseases primarily affecting voluntary muscles. It is named after German
doctor Peter Emil Becker, who first described this variant of Duchenne muscular dystrophy
(DMD) in the 1950s. BMD is similar to DMD but allows the voluntary muscles to function
better than they do in DMD. The heart muscle, however, can be affected similarly to the way it is
in DMD.
While DMD mutations cause virtually no functional dystrophin to be made, people with BMD make
dystrophin that is partially functional. They make a shortened form of the protein, which protects the
muscles of those with Becker from degenerating as completely or as quickly as those of people with
DMD.
BMD primarily affects boys and men, who inherit the disease through their mothers. Women can be
carriers but usually exhibit no symptoms. For more about the way gene mutations cause Becker
dystrophy, see Causes/Inheritance.