To Be A Major-League Disease (NAPSA)—The more you know about a devastating disease such as amy- otrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), sometimes called Lou Gehrig's disease, the better you can learn to deal withit. Understanding ALS ALSis a progressive disease that attacks the nerve cells that control voluntary movement. No one knowsfor sure what causes ALS, and there's no known cure. Here's a look at one man's story. Like most people in their 50s, “David”* was thinking about how to manage work, helping his children finish college and starting to consider what the next chapter might be, whenhis wife, “Gina,” noticed that he was having trouble tying his shoelaces. They joked that he was either too stressed or too relaxed, but when David’s left leg started feeling weak,he finally went to a doctor.It turned outto be ALS. After seeing a neurologist, David and Gina did a little research to understand this disease. They learned that ALSaffects nerve cells in the brain andthe spinal cord that send messages throughout Baseball great Lou Gehrig wasfelled by amyotrophiclateral sclerosis (ALS) 78 years ago. Today, researchers are hoping to discover more about its cause and possible treatments. the brain can’t control muscle move- made some inroads into understanding some of the causes and are working hard to put together pieces of this weak and then paralyzed. “Of course we were completely over- Because learning more about ALSis the body. Whenthese nerves startto die, ment. Ultimately, patients can become whelmedatfirst,” says David. “Gina was my rock, but ’m worried about her, too—I dependon her more and more” Gina has become somewhatof an expert. “We wantto do everything we can to help ourselves now—and we wantto help researchers understand more about this disease so that future generations wonthave to even worry aboutit, ever” May is ALS Awareness Month. In May 1939, Lou Gehrig, a beloved base- ball player, first brought attention to this disease that sadly bears his name. Over 78 years later, researchers have puzzle. What's Being Done an importantstep in the battle to defeat it, the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) has developed the National ALS Registry to gather confidential health information from people whoareliving with the disease. What You Can Do You can learn more about the Registry from www.cde.gov/ALS. Dr. Paul Mehta, a medical expert with the ATSDR, explains: “This information can help doctors and scientists learn more as we work toward what causes ALS.” *Based on real people; the names are not used to protect patient privacy.
