Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis risk factors
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Risk factors for the development of ALS include; possessing an inherited mutation in chromosome 21, being a child of someone diagnosed with familial ALS, prolonged exposure to a dietary neurotoxin found in the seed of the cycad plant, and being a military veteran.
Risk Factors
- Defective mutation in chromosome 21, inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern.
- The children of those diagnosed with familial ALS have a higher risk factor for developing the disease; however, those who have close family members diagnosed with sporadic ALS have no greater a risk factor than the general population
- Prolonged exposure to a dietary neurotoxin is one suspected risk factor in Guam; the neurotoxin is a compound found in the seed of the cycad Cycas circinalis,[1] a tropical plant found in Guam, which was used in the human food supply during the 1950s and early 1960s.
- According to the ALS Association, military veterans are at an increased risk of contracting ALS. In its report ALS in the Military,[2] the group pointed to an almost 60% greater chance of the disease in military veterans than the general population. For Gulf War veterans, the chance is seen as twice that of the general population in a joint study by the Veterans Affairs Administration and the DOD.
References
- ↑ Bains J, et al. (2002). "Isolation of various forms of sterol beta-D-glucoside from the seed of Cycas circinalis: neurotoxicity and implications for ALS-parkinsonism dementia complex".J. Neurochem. 82(3):516-28. PMID: 12153476.
- ↑ "ALS in the Military" (PDF). The ALS Association. 2007-05-17. Retrieved 2008-05-01.