Lou Gehrig's Disease

Lou Gehrig's disease, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), is a progressive degeneration of nerve cells that control muscle movements. The disease, the most common motor neuron disease among adults, became known as Lou Gehrig's disease after the New York Yankee's Hall of Fame first baseman. Gehrig's career ended in 1939 because of the condition. About 30,000 patients in this country have the disease and about 5,000 are diagnosed with ALS every year.

ALS tends to strike in mid-life between the ages of 40 and 60, but others can develop the disease. Men are about one-and-a-half times more likely to have the disease than women. In most cases, it occurs at random with no family history of the disease.

At the UCSF ALS Center, we provide a team of health professionals to help educate you and your family about ALS and to help you cope with the progression of the disease. Our doctors will evaluate your condition to determine the appropriate treatment such as physical therapy and medications that may help slow the pace of ALS or help control symptoms.

Neurologists, pulmonologists, gastroenterologists, nurses, social workers, a dietitian and a genetic counselor help identify your health needs. You also have access to a communication specialist, an orthotist who specializes in braces or other devices to support weak muscles and joints and others in the area of occupational, physical, speech and respiratory therapy. Some patients may be eligible to participate in clinical trials, which are studies to test promising new medications or treatments.

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Reviewed by health care specialists at UCSF Medical Center.
Last updated November 6, 2008