ALS (amyotropic lateral sclerosis) is a neurological condition that is often known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, in that the famous baseball player developed the disease in his 40's, and brought national and international attention to the condition. The information below was taken in part from http://www.alsa.org/
ALS is a difficult neurological disease. It is important to put things in perspective when facing the management of a progressive neurological disorder. First of all, if you or a loved one has been told that that they have the diagnosis of ALS, be sure to get a second opinion. When you read statistics, like the ones below, a grim picture is painted. But, reality is often not a very pretty picture, especially when it comes to managing a condition in your home that affects everyone in the family.
The important thing to keep in mind is that there are ways to manage each change that evolves due to the diagnosis. No two people have the same problems in the same time frame. Treatment has to be individualized and the involvement of therapists is critical to good home management. These are the basic statistics:
The following statistics are published by the ALS organization: ALS is a disorder that affects the function of nerves and muscles. Based on U.S. population studies, a little over 5,600 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with ALS each year. (That's 15 new cases a day.) It is estimated that as many as 30,000 Americans have the disease at any given time. According to the ALS CARE Database, 60% of the people with ALS in the Database are men and 93% of patients in the Database are Caucasian.
Most people who develop ALS are between the ages of 40 and 70, with an average age of 55 at the time of diagnosis. However, cases of the disease do occur in persons in their twenties and thirties. Generally though, ALS occurs in greater percentages as men and women grow older. ALS is 20% more common in men than in women. However with increasing age, the incidence of ALS is more equal between men and women.
There are several research studies – past and present – investigating possible risk factors that may be associated with ALS.
More work is needed to conclusively determine what genetics and/or environment factors contribute to developing ALS. It is known, however, that military veterans, particularly those deployed during the Gulf War, are approximately twice as likely to develop ALS. Half of all people affected with ALS live at least three or more years after diagnosis. Twenty percent live five years or more; up to ten percent will live more than ten years. There is some evidence that people with ALS are living longer.
If you or someone you love is managing this condition, and you have questions or need help problem solving an issue, please send us an email through This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We will be more than happy to help.
