FACTS: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in numbers

MANILA, Philippines – By now, your feed is probably full of #IceBucketChallenge videos and you are probably getting tired of watching people get drenched.The #IceBucketChallenge is done to raise awareness on a disease called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig's disease by pouring a bucket of ice on the head while encouraging people to extend monetary help after completing the challenge to assist in the treatment of those who are suffering from the disease. It must be noted that the viral phenomenon is not just about getting Facebook shares, but also sharing the pain of the people who suffer from the disease. 

According to ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALSTDI), ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that causes muscle weakness, paralysis, and ultimately, respiratory failure.

While some people are feasting on the #IceBucketChallenge videos, let us get to know ALS better by looking at these numbers:

1865
Year when Dr Jean-Martin Charcot saw clear signs of progressive neuronal damage that stretched from the brain to the spinal cord and atrophy of neighboring muscles by peering into the tissues of his patients with ALS

90
Every 90 minutes, someone is diagnosed with ALS

2
The incidence of ALS is 2 per 100,000 people

55
Most people who develop ALS are between the ages of 40 and 70, with an average age of 55 at the time of diagnosis

20
ALS is 20 percent more common in men than in women

10
Up to 10 percent of all ALS cases are inherited and about 10 percent of people with ALS survive at least 10 years

14
In the United States, the diagnosis can take about 12 to 14 months. Researchers hope to expedite this process by developing tools that indicate whether people have the disease.

25
About 25 percent of people with ALS first experience bulbar-onset ALS or the trouble of talking clearly- slurring words

1
At least 1 in 10 people live more than 10 years following their diagnosis

5
Most people with ALS die from respiratory failure, usually within three to five years from the onset of symptoms

9
ALS has occurred in nine Filipino migrants to Guam one to 29 years after their arrival in the 1950s

3
Currently, there is only a single medicine for specifically treating ALS - Riluzole. The drug, marketed by Sanofi-Aventis under the name Rilutek, extends survival for only about two to three months

16
Phrenic pacers (NeuRX DPS) may also be of help to ALS patients by making them sleep better and extend survival according to clinical observations for about 16 months after non-invasive ventilation is initiated

1995
Riluzole, the first treatment to alter the course of ALS, was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in  1995. This antiglutamate drug was shown scientifically to prolong the life of persons with ALS by at least a few months. 

2011
On this year, scientists found out that there is a genetic tie between  ALS and frontotemporal dementia

3
To date, the ALS Therapy Development Institute has been the grateful beneficiary of more than $3 million resulting from individuals accepting and passing forward the #icebucketchallenge.

Sources:
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
ALS Association
ALS Therapy Development Institute