Rare Gene Variants Raise Risk of Developing ALS and Lead to More Rapid Progression
American Neurological Association (ANA)People with rare genetic variants associated with Parkinson鈥檚 disease and other neurodegenerative disorders are at increased risk of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to new research presented at the 149th Annual Meeting of the American Neurological Association (ANA). The study is the first to find that rare variants linked to other neurodegenerative diseases are associated with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig鈥檚 disease. Researchers also found having these rare variants raises the risk of faster progression of ALS as well as shorter survival.