What Causes And Increases The Risk Of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis?

Exposure To Toxins Or Infectious Agents

Scientists are currently learning more about how exposure to toxins or infectious agents might influence the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. So far, researchers believe exposure to toxins or infectious agents may increase oxidative stress, a factor strongly linked to the development of ALS in laboratory studies. In addition, research has shown military personnel who served in the Gulf War during the early 1990s, where they were likely exposed to heavy metals and highly toxic substances, have a much higher rate of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis than military members deployed elsewhere. A study conducted between 2011 and 2014 examined 156 patients who were recently diagnosed with this disease. Blood samples were provided by all of the participants, and the researchers tested the samples for more than one hundred persistent environmental pollutants, including organochlorine pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls, and brominated flame retardants. Published in 2016, the study results showed patients who had been exposed to one or more of these pollutants were later diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis at a much higher rate than those who had not been exposed. The authors suggest patients may be able to modify their risk for this condition by avoiding pesticide exposure.

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