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Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, ALS, is also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, after the famous American baseball player who died of ALS in 1941. ALS is a progressive and ultimately fatal neuromuscular disease. It causes nerve cells to degenerate. These nerve cells control movement by sending electrical impulses to the muscles. When the motor neurons degenerate, the muscles weaken, resulting in paralysis. ALS is a progressive, fatal, neuromuscular disease, which has no known cause, cure or drug therapy of consequence. Individuals who are diagnosed with ALS do not typically survive beyond 3-5 years. This devastating disease slowly robs the individual of the ability to walk, talk, and ultimately, to breathe. Below are facts about ALS:

• Two to three Canadians a day die of ALS
• Approximately 3,000 Canadians currently live with ALS
• In at least 90% of cases, ALS strikes individuals with no family history of the disease
• Between 5-10% have a familial form of ALS, so 2 or more of their family members have it.
• ALS can strike anyone, regardless of age, sex or ethnic origin
• The usual age of onset is between 55 and 65, but some have been younger than 20
• Nearly 90% of people with ALS died within 5 years of diagnosis. While some live longer, others die within a few short months
• ALS affects the whole family
• ALS is a costly disease - emotionally, physically, and financially.

For more information on ALS please visit www.als.ca.

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