Pesticide Exposure Linked to Lou Gehrig’s Disease, Could Be Used to Predict Disease Risk

A blood test calculates risk through exposure to pesticides. Those with highest exposures had double the risk of developing this fatal neurological disease.
Pesticide Exposure Linked to Lou Gehrig’s Disease, Could Be Used to Predict Disease Risk
Kateryna Kon/Shutterstock
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Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal diagnosis with no known cure—but it may soon be more predictable.

Scientists have developed a blood test that can calculate a person’s risk of developing ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, by measuring exposure to environmental toxins.

George Citroner
George Citroner
Author
George Citroner reports on health and medicine, covering topics that include cancer, infectious diseases, and neurodegenerative conditions. He was awarded the Media Orthopaedic Reporting Excellence (MORE) award in 2020 for a story on osteoporosis risk in men.
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