What toxins can cause ALS?
β-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) is an environmental toxin that is made by some kinds of cyanobacteria, blue-green bacteria that typically live in the ocean. BMAA can accumulate in fish and shellfish that ultimately are consumed by humans. This toxic compound has been linked to the development of ALS.
Can blue-green algae cause ALS?
Exposure to a neurotoxic molecule produced by blue-green algae seems to raise a person’s odds of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), particularly for those under 65, a population-based study from Italy shows.
Can cyanobacteria cause ALS?
No proven connection has been found between cyanobacteria and ALS. BMAA is one of the many possible environmental triggers to neurological disease that is being investigated by researchers in Florida and elsewhere. There are millions of potential environmental exposures.
Can chemicals cause ALS?
Researchers found no significant link between ALS and exposure to most chemicals, including pesticides and herbicides. People who reported that they had regular exposure to formaldehyde, however, were 34 percent more likely to develop ALS than those with no exposure to formaldehyde.
What factors cause ALS?
Established risk factors for ALS include:
- Heredity. Five to 10 percent of the people with ALS inherited it (familial ALS ).
- Age. ALS risk increases with age, and is most common between the ages of 40 and the mid-60s.
- Sex. Before the age of 65, slightly more men than women develop ALS .
- Genetics.
Why do athletes get ALS?
Our review suggests that increased susceptibility to ALS is significantly and independently associated with 2 factors: professional sports and sports prone to repetitive concussive head and cervical spinal trauma. Their combination resulted in an additive effect, further increasing this association to ALS.
Can Spirulina cause ALS?
Now scientists are investigating whether breathing a neurotoxin produced by the algae may raise the risk of the disease. They have a long way to go, however: While the toxin does seem to kill nerve cells, no research, even in animals, has confirmed the link to ALS.
What’s the other name for Lou Gehrig’s disease?
ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is commonly known as “Lou Gehrig’s disease,” named after the famous New York Yankees baseball player who was forced to retire after developing the disease in 1939.
What does BMAA do to marine life?
We have detected BMAA in the cerebral cortex of stranded dolphins. We also report Alzheimer-like neurodegenerative changes in the brains of dolphins containing BMAA. The presence of BMAA suggests that dolphins provide an excellent sentinel species for toxin exposures in the marine environment.
Can ALS be triggered by stress?
Psychological stress does not appear to play a part in the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), with patients showing similar levels of prior stressful events, occupational stress, and anxiety as a control group, as well as higher resilience, a study shows.
Who is most at risk for ALS?
ALS risk increases with age, and is most common between the ages of 40 and the mid-60s. Sex. Before the age of 65, slightly more men than women develop ALS .
Are there any pesticides that increase the risk of ALS?
Three in particular were linked to heightened ALS risk, Goutman said. Persistent exposure to the pesticide cis-chlordane increased ALS risk nearly sixfold. Exposure to pentachlorobenzene — which was used in the manufacture of fungicides — doubled the odds for ALS.
Are there any environmental pollutants linked to ALS?
“We are identifying these toxic, persistent, environmental pollutants in higher amounts in ALS patients compared to those who do not have ALS,” said study co-author Dr. Stephen Goutman. He is assistant professor of neurology at the University of Michigan and director of its ALS Clinic.
Who are most at risk for developing ALS?
Some studies suggest that military veterans are about 1.5 to 2 times more likely to develop ALS. Although the reason for this is unclear, possible risk factors for veterans include exposure to lead, pesticides, and other environmental toxins.
Is there a link between flame retardants and ALS?
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers, used as a flame retardant in furnishings and textiles, raised the risk by about 2.7 times, the researchers said. Military service was also linked to greater risk for developing ALS, but the investigators can’t explain why. ALS, a progressive disease, affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord.