Getting a diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is devastating. ALS causes your muscles to weaken over time and eventually leads to death. It’s also called Lou Gehrig’s disease.
“ALS is a motor neuron disease,” says Dr. Rita Sattler, an ALS expert at the Barrow Neurological Institute. “Motor neurons connect to every muscle in your body and control muscle movement. So if these cells are no longer there, the muscles degenerate, strength disappears, and people become fully paralyzed.”
People with ALS usually die from respiratory failure. The muscles that control their breathing eventually shut down. The average lifespan of a person after they’re diagnosed is three to five years.
Over the past decade, researchers have uncovered more molecular clues about how ALS develops. They’re hoping this will eventually help identify people with ALS sooner. Scientists are also looking for ways to better track and treat the disease.
Source: NIH News in Health, May 2023 [https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2023/05/advances-als]
