Who Gets ALS?

ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a degenerative disease that affects the motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. Motor neurons are responsible for relaying signals from the brain to other parts of the body, so when they become damaged through ALS, it results in muscle weakness and atrophy (muscle wasting). The condition can lead to difficulty moving limbs, speaking, swallowing, and eventually breathing over time. There’s no known cure for ALS; however, physical therapy may help with muscle strength and certain medications may be able to extend lifespan. Currently about 30,000 people are diagnosed with ALS each year worldwide.

Age

Although there are very rare exceptions, most people develop Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) after age 40. Almost every case of ALS is diagnosed in people who are over 50, and a full 90% of diagnoses occur in people over 60.  As with many other diseases of old age, including Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson’s Disease, researchers suspect that multiple factors contribute to your likelihood of developing ALS as you grow older. Genetics probably play a significant role—you may be predisposed to inheriting certain genes that increase your risk for developing several neurological diseases later in life—but research has also shown that environmental factors like exposure to chemicals may play a role as well.  Most scientists believe a combination of genetics, lifestyle factors, and environment triggers symptoms in most cases.

Gender

Men are 1.5 times more likely to develop ALS than women are.

Men are also more likely to get diagnosed younger (49 years old) than women do (55 years old). The average age at which people develop ALS is 55, but men tend to develop it in their 50s and women in their 60s. Researchers aren’t exactly sure why there’s a difference between genders or why one gender seems to be getting it younger than another.  It may turn out that gender-specific factors (like sex hormones) contribute to higher rates of ALS among men and women alike; however, we don’t have any evidence confirming or denying whether these factors play a role in who gets ALS or when they first get it.

Race and ethnicity

The prevalence of ALS differs among different races and ethnicities. Caucasian people are more likely to develop ALS than African-Americans, Latinos or Asians. Researchers have found that Caucasians make up 90 percent of those diagnosed with ALS in North America, while African-Americans make up 9 percent, Latinos less than 1 percent and Asians just over one half of 1 percent. It is not known why there is such a disparity in diagnosis rates between Caucasians and African-Americans/Latinos/Asians.

While researchers work on uncovering what might cause some racial groups to be more susceptible to ALS, researchers agree that anyone who feels like they have symptoms of ALS should seek medical attention right away. There is no cure for ALS at present time, but treatment strategies exist to address many symptoms so you can live comfortably with the disease. Some forms of treatment include oral medications, nutrition support and respiratory support via noninvasive ventilation and/or tracheostomy.