What Causes And Increases The Risk Of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis?

Strenuous Physical Activity

Several recent and newly released studies indicate strenuous physical activity might elevate an individual’s risk of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. A study published in 2018 involved more than one thousand participants in several European countries. Researchers assigned a lifetime physical activity score to each subject, and results showed an association between high levels of vigorous activity and the development of this disease. Specifically, the subjects who were the most active had a twenty-six percent increase in their risk of contracting the condition. Additional research has suggested strenuous physical activity might correlate with a higher incidence of this disease in postmenopausal women; mild physical activity did not share this risk. Experts caution that there are no simple answers. While these studies have shown a correlation between certain environmental factors and ALS, more research needs to be done to establish causation.