ALS study

[Guest guest]

Thought this was interesting....

My FIL died of ALS at 87, but the neuro figured he got it because he was a

pilot since he was 15 years old!

United Press International

By PHIL MAGERS

Wednesday, August 4, 2004

DALLAS, Aug 04, 2004 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- Scientists

hope federally funded research over the next two years around

hazardous-waste sites in five states will provide some clues to the cause of

Lou Gehrig's disease.

The studies funded by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

will determine the prevalence of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in areas

around waste sites in Illinois, Massachusetts, Missouri, Texas and

Washington state.

" We want to determine the number of people with ALS in these different

geographical areas and then hopefully expand the study to look at different

risk factors, including environmental exposures, " said Dhelia on, an

epidemiologist and coordinator for the study at ATSDR.

Investigators want to initially determine if the prevalence of ALS patients

in the areas around the hazardous-waste areas are higher than normal. They

hope this will then lead to further research on possible environmental

causes of the disease.

ALS, commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease, attacks the nerve cells

in the brain and spinal cord resulting in muscle weakness and atrophy.

Patients usually survive between two and five years from the time of

diagnosis.

" There is some sort of genetic susceptibility, but that doesn't explain why

people get the disease, so it's hypothesized that there is some

environmental trigger, but we are not sure what that environmental trigger

is, " on said.

Researchers will determine the number of people with ALS in these areas and

then look for " different commonalities " among the individuals to determine

if there was some common environmental exposure, she said.

The ALS Association, based in the Los Angeles area, and its chapters around

the country are assisting with the studies by helping to identify people

with ALS in the study areas. In most cases, the patients are identified

through their neurologists.

" Finding potential links between ALS and the environment is important for a

better understanding of the disease, " said Lyon, vice president of

patient services for the ALSA. " The ALS Association is putting its efforts

into working with ATSDR and local investigators to raise the awareness and

identify people with ALS for these studies. "

The ALSA has also worked with the ATSDR and its sister agency, the Centers

for Disease Control and Prevention, on ways to develop ALS-prevalence

estimates and reporting procedures for the studies as well as techniques for

disease surveillance that will help to better understand the disease.

Researchers have conducted studies over the years of the possible links that

ALS might have to heavy metals, phosphates and agricultural chemicals, and

some have shown trends, but there has been nothing conclusive about

environmental factors, Lyon said.

" As more and more is known about the disease there is a theory or a

hypothesis that there may be some environmental circumstance, within the

environment or in our bodies, that creates a climate or a trigger in perhaps

a genetically susceptible person, but this is all hypothesis, " she said.

The five waste sites were selected from applications submitted for the

federal grants. Separate studies also are under way in the same states to

determine the prevalence of multiple sclerosis near the hazardous-waste

sites.

The studies include five waste sites containing metals, fertilizers and

fuels in Illinois, a 30-community area in Massachusetts, a lead smelter in

Missouri, sites in El Paso and San in Texas, and the Hanford Nuclear

Reservation in Washington state.

A mortality study conducted two years ago at Air Force Base in San

did not find an excess of deaths due to ALS as compared to a control

group, Lyon said, but another study there has yet to be published.

Dr. Carmel Armon, who chaired an advisory ALSA committee on the study,

said if the five studies find increased incidence of ALS it might focus

research on toxic substances and mechanisms that contribute to the disease.

" If no increased incidence is identified, it will serve as reassurance to

the communities in question and may refocus research away from futile

directions, " said the chief of neurology at Baystate Medical Center in

Massachusetts.

ATSDR is working with public-health agencies, healthcare groups and doctors

to develop data to estimate the prevalence of ALS in the study areas. The

Missouri report is nearly complete, but it may be two years before all the

research is completed.

" We hope ultimately that we get a conclusive answer about whether or not

there is an excess of cases of ALS over what would be predicted based on the

statistics that we have, " said Lyon. " If we find an excess that is

scientifically significant, then begins the real study, which is, why is

that happening? We always want conclusive, clear and substantial evidence,

whether that is positive or negative. "

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