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Published on: September 13, 2018
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis surveillance in Baltimore and Philadelphia
Heather Jordan1, Lindsay Rechtman1, Laurie Wagner1
1McKing Consulting Corporation, 2900 Chamblee Tucker Road, Building 10, Suite 100, Atlanta, Georgia, 30341, USA.
Introduction:
Limited epidemiological data on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) exist in defined geographic areas in the United States.
Methods:
Neurologists submitted case reports for patients under their care between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2011, who met the El Escorial criteria. Diagnosis was confirmed for a sample of cases by the consulting neurologist. Death certificate data were used for supplemental case identification.
Results:
The 248 reported cases were most likely to be 50-69 years old, men, white, and non-Hispanic. The total crude average annual incidence rate was 1.46 per 100,000 person-years.
Conclusions:
The reported demographic characteristics were consistent with previously published findings. The crude annual incidence was slightly lower than the expected rate of 1.6 but was within the range reported previously (0.7-2.5). These findings help quantify the burden of ALS in the United States.
