Myotonic Dystrophy
Myotonic Dystrophy is an inherited condition, and the commonest muscular dystrophy of adult life, affecting around 1 in 8000 adults. Many children are also affected by the condition either at birth or later. It is also by far the most variable neuromuscular disorder in terms of severity, age at onset and different body systems affected. The most common effects of DM are muscle problems, including muscle weakness (myopathy), trouble relaxing a muscle (myotonia), and muscle wasting that gets worse over time (atrophy). However, it is misleading to think of DM as only a muscle disorder because it also affects many other body functions, including the heart, lungs, and gastrointestinal (GI) system. (Myotonic Dystrophy Foundation)