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What Are the Causes of Lou Gehrig's Disease?

Lou Gehrig's disease is a commonly accepted name for the disease called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). ALS is an incurable, progressive brain disease. A patient afflicted with ALS will begin to experience the slow death of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. These nerve cells, called motor neurons, help the brain to control movement and muscles. When the nerve cells die, the brain eventually loses the ability to control muscle movement. Thus, as the disease progresses, patients eventually become completely paralyzed. Eventually, the brain is unable to control the involuntary muscle movements the body needs to live, and the patient dies. There is currently no known cure for ALS, and the causes of the disease remain elusive.

  1. Risk Factors

    • Approximately 5,600 people are diagnosed with ALS every year in the United States, and up to 30,000 Americans are estimated to currently have the disease. 93% of patients diagnosed with ALS are Caucasian. Sixty percent are male; ALS is 20% more common in men then women. Most patients are between 40 and 70 when they begin to develop ALS, with a median age of diagnosis of 55.

    Genetic Causes

    • Only a very small percentage of ALS cases are caused by genetics. It is estimated that only 10% of diagnosed patients have a close family history of ALS. These patients are referred to as having FALS, or familial ALS.

    Other Causes

    • Non-genetic causes of ALS are not clear, although research is underway to attempt to discover lifestyle or other factors that may contribute to the development of ALS. According to the John's Hopkins research center, in more than 9 out of 10 cases, there is no clear reason why the patient developed ALS. The patients lack a genetic history, as well as common lifestyle factors (including location of residence, diet and lifestyle choices). Thus, doctors at this time are unable to speculate as to any causes of ALS, other than the rare genetic cases.

    Sypmtoms

    • Symptoms for ALS are often overlooked in the early stages of the disease, so ALS often is not diagnosed until the disease has progressed. Symptoms, which get progressively worse, can include muscle weakness, (particular in the arms, legs, hands or mouth) involuntary movements, (including twitching and cramping) impaired speech and difficulty breathing or swallowing.

    Genetic Testing

    • Although genetic testing is currently limited, it is possible to undergo genetic testing to determine whether you are a carrier of a genetic defect that may cause ALS. Changes in a specific gene, called the SOD1 gene, has been identified in approximately 20% of families with ALS.

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