Actor Eric Dane succumbed to ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, less than a year after his diagnosis. The article provides details on the disease, its symptoms, prevalence, and impact, citing medical experts and historical context.
The fatal nervous system disease, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, killed Dane less than a year after he announced his diagnosis.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ALS is rare.
In 2022, there were nearly 33,000 estimated cases, say researchers, who project that cases will rise to more than 36,000 by 2030. The disease is slightly more common in men than in women and tends to strike in midlife, between the ages of 40 and 60.It affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, causing loss of muscle control and getting worse over time.ALS causes nerve cells in the upper and lower parts of the body to stop working and die. Nerves no longer trigger specific muscles, eventually leading to paralysis. People with ALS may develop problems with mobility, speaking, swallowing and breathing. The exact cause of the disease is unknown, and Mayo Clinic experts said a small number of cases are inherited. It’s called Lou Gehrig’s disease after the Hall of Fame New York Yankees player. Gehrig was diagnosed with ALS in 1939 on his 36th birthday, died in 1941 and was the face of ALS for decades. Eric Dane is opening up about the emotional road ahead after a devastating health update. The "Grey's Anatomy" alum was diagnosed with ALS earlier this year and reflected on the news in his first sit-down interview since going public with his illness.Experts say the first symptoms are often subtle. The disease may begin with muscle twitching and weakness in an arm or leg. Over time, muscles stop acting and reacting correctly, said experts at University of California San Francisco Health. People may lose strength and coordination in their arms and legs; feet and ankles may become weak; and muscles in the arms, shoulders and tongue may cramp or twitch. Swallowing and speaking may become difficult and fatigue may set in.Eventually, muscles used for breathing may become paralyzed. Patients may be unable to swallow and inhale food or saliva. Most people with ALS die of respiratory failure.The disease is difficult to diagnose because there’s no test or procedure to confirm it. Generally, doctors will perform a physical exam, lab tests and imaging of the brain and spinal cord. A doctor may interpret certain things as signs of ALS, including an unusual flexing of the toes, diminished fine motor coordination, painful muscle cramps, twitching and spasticity, a type of stiffness causing jerky movements. There’s no known cure for ALS, but the drug riluzole has been approved for treatment. According to the Mayo Clinic, it may extend survival in the early stages of the disease or extend the time until a breathing tube is needed. Another much-debated drug, Relyvrio, was pulled from the U.S. market by Amylyx Pharmaceuticals in 2024. Its development had been financed, in part, by the ALS Association, the major beneficiary of the 2014 “ ice bucket challenge ” viral phenomenon.Choking is common as ALS progresses, so patients may need feeding tubes. People may also use braces, wheelchairs, speech synthesizers or computer-based communication systems. After the onset of the disease, experts say patients may survive from two years to a decade. Most people live from two to five years after symptoms develop, and about a fifth live more than five years after they are diagnosed. The Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, is a neurological disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
ALS Lou Gehrig's Disease Eric Dane Neurological Disease Symptoms
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