Spinal muscular atrophy is an autosomal recessive genetic disease, how long the patient can live depends on the patient’s condition, mainly divided into four types, the survival rate of different types of patients is different, some die at about one year of age, and some have a longer life expectancy.
1. Type I spinal muscular atrophy, also known as Werdnig-Hoffmann disease, patients usually die of cardiac muscle weakness and usually do not live beyond the age of four. Most children are born with hypotonia, followed by developmental delays, and 95% of them die around the age of one.
2. Type II spinal muscular atrophy, in which children usually show symptoms around 6 to 12 months of age and progressively worsen, and usually die of respiratory complications. The survival period is usually around four years, with some patients surviving into adolescence.
3. Type III spinal muscular atrophy, also known as Wohlfart-Kugelberg-Welander disease, usually develops between the ages of 2 and 30. The disease progresses slowly, so patients have a longer life expectancy.
4. Type IV spinal muscular atrophy, which usually develops in adults between the ages of 30 and 60 years old, is also like Type III, with slower progression of the disease and therefore a longer life expectancy.
Patients are advised to seek early medical intervention to extend their life expectancy to a certain extent.