Inclusion body myositis

Inclusion body myositis (IBM) is the most common inflammatory muscle disease in older adults, combining autoimmune inflammation with muscle degeneration and causing progressive weakness in both proximal muscles near the torso and distal muscles near the hands and feet. It typically begins after age 45, with mean onset between 61 and 68, and affects men more often than women, at roughly 46 per million people. Early signs include frequent tripping, difficulty climbing stairs and foot drop, followed by trouble manipulating the fingers and weakness of the finger flexors and ankle dorsiflexors; difficulty swallowing affects 40 to 85 percent of cases and can cause serious complications. IBM does not significantly shorten life expectancy, but most patients need a walker or wheelchair within five to ten years of onset, and as of 2019 there was no effective treatment.