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Updated: Mar 16, 2026
Utility of Dissociated Intrinsic Hand Muscle Atrophy in the Diagnosis of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Published on: March 4, 2014
From Environment to Symptoms: Mapping Premorbid Risk Factors onto Clinical Features of ALS in a Patient-Reported
Xinyu Li1,2, Qianrui Chen1,3, Dongsheng Fan1,4,5
1Department of Neurology, Peking University Third Hospital, 49 North Garden Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, China.
Introduction:
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease with multifactorial causes, including genetic and environmental factors. This study aimed to identify environmental and lifestyle factors influencing the progression of ALS by leveraging the first and largest patient-reported ALS database in China (the AskHelpU ALS Patient Platform), addressing a critical gap in regional research.
Methods:
Data from 1421 patients with ALS, including detailed information on occupational exposure, lifestyle habits, dietary patterns, and medical history, were collected from the AskHelpU platform. Statistical analyses were conducted to identify associations between these factors and clinical characteristics. The associations between pre-onset factors and disease progression were analyzed using multicariable generalized linear models, adjusting for multiple comaparisons with the Bonferroni correction.
Results:
Employment in the agriculture industry (p < 0.001) was associated with rapid ALS progression, whereas employment in the leasing and business services industry (p = 0.01) and education industry (p = 0.033) slowed ALS progression. Other key pre-onset prognostic factors were cigarette smoking (p = 0.043) and pre-existing hypertension (p = 0.036).
Conclusion:
By utilizing the patient-reported ALS database, this study comprehensively examined the effects of environmental, occupational, and lifestyle factors on ALS progression. These findings provide novel insights into the regional variations in ALS etiology, emphasizing the multifactorial nature of the disease.
