Life expectancy in DMD tends to be which range?

• A. Late teens to early adulthood (improving with care)
• B. Early childhood
• C. Late 40s
• D. Shortened to age 5

Answer: (A)

Duchenne muscular dystrophy causes progressive weakness of respiratory and cardiac muscles, so life expectancy has historically been limited by respiratory failure and cardiomyopathy. With advances in multidisciplinary care—including respiratory support (like noninvasive ventilation and airway clearance), cardiac monitoring and treatment, corticosteroids to slow progression, and supportive therapies—the outcome has shifted upward. This makes the typical life expectancy reach into the late teens to early adulthood, rather than remaining in childhood.

Some individuals may live longer, into the 20s or beyond, but the most accurate, widely observed range today is late teens to early adulthood, reflecting the impact of modern care. The other options don’t fit the disease trajectory: early childhood is too short given current management, late 40s would be unusually long for most with DMD, and age 5 is far too early for survival given the usual progression.