(HealthDay News) – The Search for a cure for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) has been elusive, but researchers may have identified a way to reduce a man’s risk long-term.
Keeping fit and do moderate levels of exercise could reduce the chances of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis later in life, Norwegian researchers reported in the June 26 issue of the journal Neurology. They found no similar link between physical activity and women’s ALS riskalso known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
“There have been conflicting findings about physical activity levels, physical fitness, and ALS risk,” said study author Dr. Dr. Anders Myhre Vaage, from Akershus University Hospital, Norway. “Our study found that for men, leading a more active lifestyle could be linked to a lower risk of ALS more than 30 years later.”
ALS is a neurodegenerative disease that affects the nerve cells of the brain and spinal cord. Over time, people lose the ability to eat, talk, move and even breathe. There’s no cure.
The new study included more than 373,000 people in Norway (with an average age of 41 years). During a follow-up that lasted an average of 27 years, 504 developed ALS. Of these, 59% were men.
For the study, participants completed a questionnaire about their level of physical activity. They classified their activity into one of four categories: sedentary; at least four hours a week of walking or cycling; at least four hours a week of heavy gardening or recreational sports; or participation several times a week in hard training or competitive sports.
So few of the participants placed themselves in the most active group that the researchers combined the two main categories into a “high activity” group. Of the nearly 42,000 men who described themselves as the most active, 63 developed ALS during the study. Of the 77,000 participants with intermediate activity levels, 131 developed ALS, as did 68 of the 29,500 who were less active.
After taking into account factors such as smoking and body mass index, The researchers found that the most active group had a 41% lower risk than the least active groupThose with moderate activity levels had a 29 percent lower risk.
So the findings show that “moderate to high levels of physical activity and fitness not only do not increase the risk of ALS, but might protect against the disease,” Myhre Vaage noted in a journal news release. “Future studies on the connection between ALS and exercise are needed to account for sex differences and the higher activity levels of professional athletes.”
The researchers noted that men in the lowest of four resting heart rate categories (a benchmark for fitness) had a 32 percent lower risk of ALS.compared to men with higher rates.
A limitation of the study was that the activity questionnaire was completed only once. As such, it may not have captured participants’ exercise levels over time.
* More information: The ALS Association has more information on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. SOURCE: Neurology, press release, June 26, 2024
* Carole Tanzer Miller. HealthDay Reporters ©The New York Times 2024
