How manypeopl e
AL S ar esuf f er i ngf r om
LouGehr i g' sdi sease,al soknownasamyot r ophi cl at er alscl er osi s( ALS) ,i sa r ar eneur ol ogi cal condi t i ont hatpr edomi nant l yaf f ect st hener vecel l si nchar ge ofr egul at i ngvol unt ar ymuscul aract i vi t y .
Wi t hamedi andi agnosi sageof55,amyot r ophi cl at er alscl er osi scommonl y af f ect speopl ebet weent heagesoff or t yandsevent y .However ,t hedi sease can al so st r i ke cer t ai n peopl ei nt hei rt went i es and t hi r t i es.Typi cal l y ,t he pr eval ence ofALS i ncr eases wi t h age i n bot h men and women.Men exper i enceALSt went yper centmor ef r equent l yt hanwomendo.However ,as peopl egetol der ,t hepr eval enceof ALSi smor eevenl ydi st r i but edacr ossmen andwomen.Accor di ngt ot heALSAssoci at i on,t her ear ebet ween5, 760and 6, 400new di agnosesofamyot r ophi cl at er alscl er osi sever yyear ,or1. 8t o2 casesper100, 000i ndi vi dual s.
Appr oxi mat el yf ourt osi xper sonsoutofever y100, 000peopl ewor l dwi dear e est i mat edt ohaveALS atanygi venmoment .Accor di ngt ot hedat at hati s cur r ent l yavai l abl e6, 000Amer i cansar edi agnosedwi t hALS annual l y ,and 60% ofmenand93% ofCaucasi ansar eaf f ect ed.