Facts About ALS

"ALS is clearly the most common cause of neurological death on an annual basis",
Dr. Michael Strong, research scientist at the Robarts Research Institute, London, Ontario.

• ALS, often called Lou Gehrig's Disease, means Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.
• Sometimes it is called Motor Neuron Disease.
• ALS can strike anyone. It can hit at anytime, regardless of age, sex or ethnic origin.
• The usual age of onset is 55-65, but people under 20 have been diagnosed.
• ALS is not a rare disease. Of every 100,000 people, between 6 and 7 will be diagnosed with ALS.
• Approximately 3,000 Canadians currently live with ALS.
• Two or three Canadians die each day of this devastating disease.
• In at least 90% of cases, it strikes people with no family history of the disease.
• ALS always results in death. 90% of people with ALS die within 5 years of diagnosis.
• A person with ALS can require equipment valued at more than $40,000.
• Nursing care can cost several times that amount.
• The cause is unknown. There is no known cure or treatment that prolongs life significantly - yet.