Studies: Military service may boost Lou Gehrig's disease risk

[steve2470]

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Military service may slightly increase the risk of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease, but more research is needed, according to a new report from the National Academy of Sciences.

ALS is a progressive disease that affects the nervous system, causing nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord to degenerate. It eventually results in paralysis and is usually fatal. Five to 10 percent of the cases are inherited, but the cause of the remaining 90 to 95 percent is unknown.

The committee looked at the only five studies that have been done assessing the relationship between military service and the disease, and determined flaws in three of them that put their results in question. A fourth study done by the Veterans Administration found no increased risk. The fifth study -- looking at veterans who served between 1910 and 1982 -- found military service was associated with a 1.5 times increased risk of developing the condition.

The chair of the committee, Dr. Richard T. Johnson, said there are more questions than answers, especially when it comes to service in the Gulf War.

<snip>

http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/11/10/mil.lou.gherigs/

[leftchick]

1. I had a patient at a VA hospital in NYS

who was very young with ALS in the late 80s. He was the first of many over the few years I worked there with the disease. Damn, this is awful :(

[Old and In the Way]

2. My mom died from ALS....I can't think of a more horrible degenerative

condition to be diagnosed with. There was no history in the family, but she was involved in a severe car crash 18 months earlier. While she was not physically debilitated at that time, there seems to be a potential link between severe trauma and the onset of ALS.

[DawgHouse]

3. My friend was diagnosed after having her third child.

Very sad, she lived about ten years after diagnosis and only recently passed away.

[Old and In the Way]

4. That's amazing.....the prognosis for most ALS patients is 12-18 months.

My mom died 10 mom's after her diagnosis.

[DawgHouse]

5. I'm so sorry for your loss.

My friend's progression was very slow.

[Old and In the Way]

7. thanks...sorry about your friend.

To have a completely functioning mind while not being able to move a single muscle is the worst kind of debilitation. Stem cell research might find a breakthrough for this disease...

[ladyVet]

6. I wonder...

could there be any relationship with this and all the vaccines military members get? I know in my case, my group in basic training were the guinea pigs for the swine flu vaccine in 1977--three times! :shrug: