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Life expectancy for people with muscular dystrophy has increased significantly over the past decades due to advances in medical care. When considering **how long do older adults live with muscular dystrophy?**, the answer depends heavily on the specific type of the disease and the quality of care received.
Muscular atrophy can begin at various points in a person's life, with age-related muscle loss, known as sarcopenia, typically starting in the 30s. However, some forms of muscular atrophy, such as certain types of muscular dystrophy and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), manifest in infancy or childhood due to genetic factors. Other neurological diseases, like Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), tend to emerge in middle to late adulthood.
While Muscular Dystrophy (MD) is famously associated with childhood, medical reports confirm that a significant number of patients are presenting with symptoms well into adulthood. It is crucial for older adults and their caregivers to understand that the condition is not exclusive to youth and that adult-onset forms of muscular dystrophy can occur.
Beginning around age 30, the average adult starts to lose approximately 3% to 5% of muscle mass per decade due to age-related decline. This gradual, natural process is known as sarcopenia, but it is not the only way muscular atrophy can occur, as onset can happen at any stage of life depending on the underlying cause.
