Atlanta metropolitan area amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) surveillance: incidence and prevalence 2009 – 2011 and survival characteristics through 2015

At a glance

This paper looks at ALS prevalence and incidence in Atlanta

Affiliates

Reshma Punjani1, Laurie Wagner2, Kevin Horton1, and Wendy Kaye2

  1. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
  2. McKing Consulting Corporation

Journal

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Degeneration

Summary

This study looked at how common ALS (a rare and fatal neurological disease) is in the Atlanta area and how long people live after diagnosis. Researchers collected data from neurologists between 2009 and 2011 and followed patients’ survival through 2015. They found that ALS rates in Atlanta were similar to other parts of the U.S., with the disease more common in white, non-Hispanic men, especially those ages 50–59. Overall, about 1.5 people per 100,000 developed ALS each year, and about 5–6 per 100,000 were living with it at a given time. Survival varied across groups, but the most important factor was age at diagnosis—people diagnosed younger tended to live longer.

Link to paper

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Content Source:
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry