Als Research Paper

ALS Research Paper ALS is a disease that prevents muscles to work by attacking the nerve cells. Patients that have ALS live for about 2 to 5 years after they get diagnosed; 8% of ALS patients survived for more than 10 years. This disease can strike anyone, but is not contagious. 10% of the patients across U.S. that have ALS were inherited. The gene chromosomes’ are 21 neurons that send a message from the brain to the nerves and muscles. The prevention or cause of this disease as not been discovered yet. Many symptoms of the disease include; twitching, muscle weakness, difficulty of chewing, slurred speech, and feeling clumsy. About 5 thousand people in U.S. were reported of this disease every year. In 1993 scientists of the National Institute Neurological Disorders and Stroke theorized that mutations in the gene were created by SOD1 enzyme. There is no cure for this disease, but scientists discovered that riluzole (drug) can slow down the process of ALS. They also discovered that creatine (muscle supplement) can help patients that have this disease; it helps to build muscle and enables the muscle to contract. Recent studies in California recommended patients to eat foods in high antioxidants because it gave them energy (Antioxidants include vitamins C and E). ALS also known as the “Lou Gehrig’s disease” was named after the famous baseball player, Henry Lou Gehrig. Henry was born in Manhattan from an immigrated German family. His father Heinrich was employed at a metal sheet factory and his mother Christina was a maid. He had two sisters that died from the measles and the brother died from infancy. Henry always kept in mind to never giving up and always working hard; an inspiration from his parents. And that’s how hard takes place in his baseball career; although he went to Colombia University for a full football scholarship. Henry never thought of pursuing his future career with sports; he wanted to graduate with an engineer degree. A scout from the New York