Incidence And Mortality Rates Of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Among Athletes

Incidence and mortality rates of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) among the athletes who played in the National Football League (NFL) have been identified by a study published in the JAMA Network Open. ALS is a rare motor neuron disease that is characterized by loss of upper and lower motor neurons, leading to rapid disability and death. The hallmark of ALS is the accumulation of ubiquitinated TDP-43 (Ub-TDP-43) protein aggregates in motor neurons.

Nearly 19,423 NFL athletes, debuted between 1960 and 2019 were enrolled in the study. All the players participated in one or more professional game that was conducted between October 3, 2020, and July 19, 2021.

It was found that the athletes had nearly 4 times higher incidence and mortality rates of ALS when compared with the US male population. Interestingly, these athletes with ALS diagnosis had played football for approximately 2.5 years longer than those without ALS.

The study thereby states that certain NFL factors and their duration may increase the incidence and mortality rates of ALS, thereby estimating the screening of ALS risk factors as a critical public health issue.

Source-Medindia