Although people who develop amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) have altered levels of several blood metabolites — products of our cells’ metabolism — before disease onset, these changes do not enable reliable identification of who is at risk of having ALS, according to a large study. The research, “…
Living with ALS certainly has its challenges, which lead many of us to rely on workarounds. These are creative, temporary solutions that solve an everyday problem; I first wrote about mine in “The ALS Workaround Dilemma.” But the key word here is “temporary,” because workarounds run the risk…
People with familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) related to the gene VAPB — known as ALS type 8 — can show subtle cognitive deficits and obvious behavioral changes, which may lead to clinically significant depression and anxiety, a Brazilian study shows. This data supports prior studies…
Using antibiotics may increase the risk of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), with a higher number of prescriptions linked to greater risk, a nationwide study in Sweden suggests. However, the researchers caution that more studies are needed to prove a direct,…
People with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) who tolerated higher doses of tirasemtiv showed a trend toward slower decline in breathing muscle activity, although the difference was not statistically significant between those treated with the investigational therapy and those on a placebo, a Phase 3 clinical trial shows. These results may have…
Oxford BioDynamics has joined the REFINE-ALS study, a project designed to detect and measure the levels of specific biomarkers among people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America (MTPA) announced. REFINE-ALS is sponsored by the MTPA and led by the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)…
About a year ago, I wrote about how ALS patients may receive home healthcare on an uninterrupted basis, with expenses covered by Medicare. Since then, there has been both good news and bad news. The good news is that I recently “celebrated” my two-year anniversary of getting that coverage.
With 250 rare diseases newly identified every year, scientists can barely keep up — even as the healthcare system fails millions of Americans whose rare diseases have already been diagnosed. That’s the warning from Christopher P. Austin, MD, director of the National Center for Advancing Translational Studies (NCATS) at…
Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America (MTPA) has launched a new database that locates healthcare providers, area infusion treatment centers, and in-home infusion services, with the goal of providing a one-stop convenient resource for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients and caregivers. The nationwide directory is available within the ALS…
I’ve always believed that I was open to new ways of doing things, but having ALS has put me to the test. My pride and a little denial have often gotten in the way of my seeing the obvious solutions to a problem. Thank goodness an “aha” moment came…
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