
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a neurodegenerative disease which causes the loss of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. While the cause of most cases of ALS is unknown, roughly 20% are of ALS case are caused by inheritance of one of a number of genetic mutations. Roughly 30,000 Americans between the ages of 40 and 70 are affected by ALS.
What is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis? Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by the loss of upper and lower motor neurons. This neuron loss leads to the loss of muscle control, eventually progressing to paralysis and death.
The majority of patients suffering with ALS have sporadic ALS, which have an unknown origin and are not inheritable.