Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis as a Multistep Process in the United States: A Population-Based Study

For Public Health

At a glance

This study aims to identify if ALS is a multistep process in disease development.
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Affiliates

Jasmine Berry 1, Jaime Raymond 1, Theodore Larson 1, D Kevin Horton 1, Moon Han 1, Theresa Nair 1, Ammar Al‐Chalabi 2, Paul Mehta 1

  1. Office of Innovation and Analytics, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
  2. Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, King's College London, London, UK

Journal

Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology

Summary

This study examined U.S. National ALS Registry data from 2012–2019 to test whether amyotrophic lateral sclerosis develops through a sequence of biological or environmental “steps.” Using an average of 5,253 newly identified ALS cases per year, the researchers found a strong relationship between age and incidence, with results suggesting that ALS generally develops through about six steps. The pattern was similar for men and women, although estimates varied somewhat by race and year. Findings support earlier international studies proposing that ALS results from accumulated genetic, environmental, or biological events rather than one isolated cause.

Link to Paper

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Content Source:
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry