People With Rare Genetic Variants Linked To Degenerative Brain Disorders Have Increased Risk Of Developing ALS, Study Finds

HealthDay (9/16, Thompson) reports, “People with rare genetic variants linked to degenerative brain disorders like Parkinson’s disease are at increased risk of developing ALS, a new study finds.” Additionally, “having these genetic variants increases the risk of a person having faster-progressing ALS...and dying earlier.” The data indicated that “the strongest link was with Parkinson’s disease,” as individuals “with genes associated with Parkinson’s had a 3.6 times greater risk of developing ALS.” The research was presented at the American Neurological Association’s annual meeting.