Duchenne muscular dystrophy-associated cardiomyopathy: advances in diagnosis and management

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked recessive neuromuscular disorder in which cardiac involvement is relatively insidious, and heart failure has become one of the major determinants of prognosis. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and speckle-tracking echocardiography provide a basis for the precise assessment of DMD-associated cardiomyopathy. At present, glucocorticoid therapy and cardiovascular drug therapy are the basic treatment approaches, and gene therapy, cell therapy, and molecularly targeted drugs are continually evolving. This review summarizes pathogenic mechanisms, diagnostic techniques, and therapeutic strategies for DMD-associated cardiomyopathy, with the aim of informing standardized clinical management and improving patient quality of life.