Synopsis: A list of famous and well known people with or had ALS or Lou Gehrigs Disease one of the most common neuromuscular diseases worldwide. Scientists have not yet found a definitive cause for Lou Gehrig's Disease or Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis most commonly strikes people aged between 40 - 60 years old.
Main Document
ALS is one of the most common neuromuscular diseases worldwide, and people of all races and ethnic backgrounds are affected.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, sometimes called Lou Gehrig's Disease, or Maladie de Charcot) is a progressive, invariably fatal, neurodegenerative disease caused by the degeneration of motor neurons, the nerve cells in the central nervous system that control voluntary muscle movement. Between 1 to 2 people per 100,000 develop Lou Gehrig's Disease each year. ALS most commonly strikes people between 40 and 60 years of age, but younger and older people can also develop the disease.
Scientists have not found a definitive cause for Lou Gehrig's Disease but the onset of the disease can be linked to a variety of risk factors. It is believed that one or more of the following factors are responsible for the majority of Lou Gehrig's Disease cases. Researchers suspect a virus, exposure to neurotoxins or heavy metals, DNA defects, immune system abnormalities, and enzyme abnormalities as the leading causes of the disease.
Lou Gehrig's Disease Symptoms:
Males are affected slightly more often than women, and the onset of ALS may be so subtle that the symptoms are frequently overlooked. The earliest symptoms of Lou Gehrig's Disease may include:
Tripping and falling
Hand weakness or clumsiness
Weakness in your leg, feet or ankles
Slurred speech or trouble swallowing
Difficulty walking or doing your normal daily activities
Difficulty holding your head up or keeping good posture
Muscle cramps and twitching in your arms, shoulders and tongue
Eventually, ALS weakens muscles, including muscles used for breathing, until they become paralyzed.
Famous People Who Had or Have Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS)
Augie Nieto
Charles Mingus
Chris Pendergast
Dan Toler
David Niven
Dennis Day
Dieter Dengler
Don Revie
Fokko du Cloux
Hans Keller
Jacob Javits
James Augustus "Catfish" Hunter
Jason Becker
Lane Smith
Lead Belly - Huddie William Ledbetter
Lou Gehrig
Mao Zedong
Michael Soles - Former all-star Canadian university and Canadian Football League fullback. Diagnosed in 2005 as having Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.
Michael Zaslow
Mike Doyle - (1941– 2019) Surf/paddle champion, 1965 World Champion, winner of 1968 Duke Kahanamoku Contest, Doyle was a surfer known for big-wave skills, innovations, flamboyant style, inventor and surfboard maker.
Mike Porcaro
Morrie Schwartz
Professor Stephen Hawking
Samuel Shepard Rogers III - (Nov. 5, 1943 - July 27, 2017), known as Sam Shepard, was an American actor, playwright, author, screenwriter, and director.
Simon Fitzmaurice - Irish filmmaker and published a memoir titled It's Not Yet Dark about his experience with motor neurone disease. He also directed My Name Is Emily in 2015 while living with the ALS.
Stanley Sadie
Stephen Michael "Steve" Gleason
If you know of a discrepancy in this list please contact us so we can amend the entry.
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