A Brief Note On Lou Gehrig, The Greatest New York Yankee...

Introduction In early 1939, Lou Gehrig, one of the greatest New York Yankee baseball players ever, took himself out of a ballgame after playing in a record setting 2,130 consecutive games. He was noted by his teammates to drag his feet in the field, struggle with routine plays, and his batting average had plummeted. After baffling with many local physicians, he arrived at the Mayo Clinic where he was diagnosed with a â€Å"rare disease† – amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Mitsumoto, 2001). Today ALS is no longer considered rare and is widely recognized as a relentless and devastating neurodegenerative disease. In recent years the media has covered ALS to promote awareness and support ongoing research to enhance diagnosis, treatment, and quality of life. Unfortunately, the disease is incurable and treatment options are currently limited. Epidemiology/Incidence There are 20,000 new cases of ALS diagnosed each year in the United States. This yields an incidence of 3 per 100,000 (Brown, 2006). There is no known cause for ALS in 95% of patients; however, 5% have an identifiable genetic mutation (Elman, 2016). The disease can present in individuals less than 30 years of age, but peaks between 40 and 60 years of age. Before the age of 65, more diagnoses are made in men; after the age of 65, gender incidence is equal. There is no clear-cut ethnic or racial predisposition in ALS (Ricks, 2016). The lifespan is approximately 3-4 years after diagnosis. However, in 10 % of