CDC Grand Rounds: National Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Registry Impact, Challenges, and Future Directions

MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2017 Dec 22;66(50):1379-1382. doi: 10.15585/mmwr.mm6650a3.

Abstract

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a rapidly progressive fatal neurologic disease. Currently, there is no cure for ALS and the available treatments only extend life by an average of a few months. The majority of ALS patients die within 2-5 years of diagnosis, though survival time varies depending on disease progression (1,2). For approximately 10% of patients, ALS is familial, meaning it and has a genetic component; the remaining 90% have sporadic ALS, where etiology is unknown, but might be linked to environmental factors such as chemical exposures (e.g., heavy metals, pesticides) and occupational history (3).

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / epidemiology*
  • Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / ethnology
  • Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / prevention & control*
  • Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / psychology
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.
  • Forecasting
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Population Surveillance / methods*
  • Prevalence
  • Registries*
  • Risk Factors
  • United States / epidemiology
  • White People / statistics & numerical data