Military Service and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in a Population-based Cohort

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Epidemiology
• Military Health

Background:

• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) risk has been anecdotally linked to military service.
• Previous research is limited, with only one prospective study on a volunteer cohort.

Purpose of the Study:

• To prospectively assess the association between military service and ALS mortality.
• To investigate if specific service periods influence ALS risk.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the National Longitudinal Mortality Study (1973-2002).
• Included 696,743 men and 392,571 women aged 25+ with military service data.
• Follow-up for ALS mortality occurred from 1979-2002, with adjusted hazard ratios calculated.

Main Results:

• Men with military service showed a higher adjusted ALS death rate (HR: 1.23).
• Increased ALS mortality was observed for service during World War II (HR: 1.47).
• Similar trends were noted in women, though with wider confidence intervals.

Conclusions:

• Military personnel exhibit an elevated risk for ALS.
• The increased risk may be associated with specific service eras, notably World War II.
• Further follow-up may reveal risks for other service periods.