Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS): What It Does and Who Gets It

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a nervous system disease that attacks neurons — nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that carry messages to your voluntary muscles, the ones you control, like those in your arms and legs.

How it progresses

• At first, mild muscle problems — some people notice trouble walking or running, trouble writing, or speech problems.
• Eventually, you lose your strength and cannot move.
• When chest muscles fail, you cannot breathe. A breathing machine can help, but most people with ALS die of respiratory failure.

Who gets it

• It usually strikes between ages 40 and 60.
• More men than women get it.
• It can run in families, but usually strikes at random; no one knows what causes it.

Treatment

There is no cure. Medicines can relieve symptoms and sometimes prolong survival.

Sources

Based on "Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis," MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, drawing on the NIH National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke; a work of the United States government in the public domain.