Becker Muscular Dystrophy is listed as a "rare disease" by the Office of Rare Diseases (ORD) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This means that Becker Muscular Dystrophy, or a subtype of Becker Muscular Dystrophy, affects less than 200,000 people in the US population.
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Muscular dystrophy is caused by various genetic mechanisms. Duchenne’s and Becker’s muscular dystrophies are X-linked recessive disorders. Both result from defects in the gene coding for the muscle protein dystrophin; the gene has been mapped to the Xp21 locus.
The incidence muscular dystrophy is about 1 in 651,450 persons in the United States. Duchenne’s and Becker’s muscular dystrophies affect males almost exclusively.
Facioscapulohumeral dystrophy is an autosomal dominant disorder. Limb-girdle dystrophy is usually autosomal recessive. These two types affect both sexes about equally.
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Source: The 5-Minute Pediatric Consult, 2008
The term 'prevalence' of Becker Muscular Dystrophy usually refers to the estimated population of people who are managing Becker Muscular Dystrophy at any given time. The term 'incidence' of Becker Muscular Dystrophy refers to the annual diagnosis rate, or the number of new cases of Becker Muscular Dystrophy diagnosed each year. Hence, these two statistics types can differ: a short-lived disease like flu can have high annual incidence but low prevalence, but a life-long disease like diabetes has a low annual incidence but high prevalence. For more information see about prevalence and incidence statistics.
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