Takeaway
Early screening for nocturnal hypoventilation (NH) should be conducted in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) patients, especially within 3 years of loss of ambulation and should not be restricted to patients with a forced vital capacity (FVC) of <50%.
Why this matters
Respiratory impairment is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in DMD. However, the optimal timing for nocturnal mechanical ventilation introduction remains uncertain, as there is limited published evidence available.
This study highlights the urgent need to identify disease-specific outcome measures to assess the progression of respiratory function in DMD and advocates for the necessity for early screening.