Causes

Causes of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

ALS affects people of all racial and ethnic groups, most commonly those between the ages of 40 and 70, though the condition can develop in younger people.

Unfortunately, there currently is no cure for ALS, and most patients die due to respiratory failure, typically within three to five years of onset of symptoms. Approximately 10 percent of people with ALS survive for 10 or more years.

The cause of ALS is unknown, though there may be a hereditary factor in 5 to 10 percent of ALS cases (known as familial ALS).