Muscular Dystrophy and Heart Problems in Women

Muscular dystrophy (MD) is a disorder that causes muscles to weaken, break down and eventually be replaced by fatty deposits, according to the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Females are rarely affected by the disorder.

History

• A health problem that is commonly associated with MD in women is heart disease, but the heart and other involuntary muscles are not always affected, explains the University of Washington's Rehabilitation Medicine Department.

Heart Rhythm

• Cardiomyopathy, or a disruption of the rhythm of the heart, is the usual result of heart damage from muscular dystrophy in women. Lung problems sometimes accompany the heart damage, as the function of the two organs are closely connected.

Time Frame

• Heart problems resulting from muscular dystrophy in women, according to Ohio State University's Medical Center, usually occur in the late teenage years or early 20's.

Tests

• Studies such as electrocardiograms and blood tests are often requested by physicians of female patients with MD to evaluate damage to the heart muscles. Women who have not contracted the disease but are carriers of MD should also undergo routine testing for heart damage.

Management

• Heart problems related to muscular dystrophy are sometimes electrical. The University of California at Davis says the heart dysfunctions can be treated with a pacemaker.