Interesting Theory - high activity levels and MND

[Just J]

I just came across this article about a women who has been diagnosed with MND. Particularly this excerpt had an interest to me because my husband was extremely athletic his entire life. Link to full article is below. Has anyone else read anything regarding a link to high activity and MND?

"Professor Shaw, who is director of the Sheffield Care and Research Centre for Motor Neurone Disorders, says: 'Many neurologists have a feeling it is very active people who get MND and there are current research programmes investigating the link between high levels of physical activity and the development of MND.'
Studies in Italy show that there is a seven times higher incidence of MND in professional footballers than would be expected in young men."


Read more: I don't want to live with Motor Neurone Disease to the bitter end... I've made plans, says mother of cricketer Stuart Broad | Mail Online

 

[Zaphoon]

I have worked some very tough schedules during my 20 year career in the navy and pulled a lot of back-to-back shift work (working 2 jobs) after my navy days. I think this has contributed to any predisposition to my having PLS.

 

[Just J]

Sorry, it seems I posted this twice. I thought it hadn't gone through because of the link. I guess there was a delay so the link could be verified.

 

[serenade]

I have gone full speed ahead since the day I was born, maybe I wore myself out being a hard working individual. But many people in coal mines, railroad, ship builder, iron workers, worked far harder than me so I don't know if over doing it causes als.

 

[olly]

this has also been said to be a contributing factor in developing ms.
maybe we should have all been lazy good for nothing bum's:roll::lol:

 

[Just J]

this has also been said to be a contributing factor in developing ms.
maybe we should have all been lazy good for nothing bum's:roll::lol:

Hahaha Olly! Gives me justification next time I am in a "lazy" mood. Never really been lazy, its go go go for me too especially now that I'm caretaking and still employed full time!

 

[John1]

Hi JustJ,

This possible link between MND and Italian footballers has been around for a long time but I think the article misconstrues most thinking about the sport as possible cause of MND. I have always understood a possible cause to be head trauma not just "activity". Many sports are as active or more so than football (soccer in the US). I don't see marathon runners dropping from ALS although obviously more research is needed in this interesting topic.

The article, like most news reports, has other factual errors including:

1. "'I was given two MRI scans, which diagnose health conditions that affect organ, tissue and bone. He recommended that when I returned home I saw Professor Pamela Shaw. I didn't know at the time that she was an expert on Motor Neurone Disease."

To my knowledge MRIs are used to rule out other possible causes of symptoms, not to diagnose MND.

2. "Her life expectancy is not good. According to the Motor Neurone Disease Association, 50 per cent of sufferers die within 14 months of diagnosis and the remainder within five years. A unique exception is Professor Stephen Hawking who has lived with MND for over 40 years, baffling doctors."

Certainly the remainder do not die within 5 years. I was diagnosed over 9 years ago and Stephen Hawking is not unique although his longevity is very unusual. ALS Canada reports that "Although the average life expectancy of newly diagnosed people is between 3 and 5 years, 20% live more than 5 years, and 10% live more than 10 years. "

3. "She currently takes medication to help slow the progression of the disease, plus a variety of vitamins"

There is no medication to slow progression. Rilutek may, or may not, extend life by several weeks but it does not slow progression of symptoms.

4. "About two people in 100,000 are diagnosed each year".

This figure is too low by at least 200-300%. Again quoting ALS Canada "ALS strikes about 6 people per 100,000 per year." I've done the math and this figure is more realistic than 2 per 100,000.

I hope Ms Broad has slow progression and accepts the disease more than she has at present. Life can be much brighter with MND than she seems to think at the moment.