What is ALS? Signs, years of life after the death of Eric Dane at the age of 53
Popular “Grey’s Anatomy” star Eric Dane has died at the age of 53, less than a year after revealing that he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
“It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of Eric Dane on Thursday afternoon following a courageous battle with ALS,” read a statement from Dane’s family.
“Throughout his journey with ALS, Eric became a passionate advocate for awareness and research, determined to make a difference to others facing the same battle. He will be deeply missed, and fondly remembered always.”
It was in April of last year that she publicly shared her diagnosis, and over the past year fans have watched as the “Euphoria” star’s life deteriorated — and she’s championed research and awareness.
“I started having some weakness in my right hand, and I didn’t think anything of it at the time,” he told Diane Sawyer in June. I thought maybe I was texting too much or my hand was tired. But a few weeks later, I noticed that it was getting worse.”
At that time, he said, the left side was working – but his right had “completely stopped working.” He expected to lose the use of his left hand within a few months.
In September, he was photographed using a wheelchair and struggled to talk to the photographer. That month, she skipped the Emmys because she was in the hospital, “getting stitches in my head.”
“ALS is a terrible disease,” he told the Washington Post.
Last month, he pulled out of an ALS event, citing the “real facts of ALS” and that he “wasn’t alive enough to be there.”
What causes ALS?
ALS is a fatal, progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.
Known as Lou Gehrig’s disease in honor of the legendary baseball player who died of the condition, ALS affects all genders and races, although it is more common in men than women.
The usual age of diagnosis is between 40 and 70, but it can appear earlier.
There are two main types of ALS: sporadic and familial.
Sporadic ALS is the most common form of the disease, accounting for 90% of all cases. Sporadic ALS occurs randomly without a genetic cause or family history.
About 5–10% of people with ALS are familial, meaning two or more people in the family have ALS. These conditions are caused by several inherited factors. The most common is in a gene called SOD1.
The specific risk factors for ALS have not been fully identified, but research is examining the role of genetics and environmental factors in the development of ALS. Studies have shown that smoking cigarettes may increase a person’s risk of ALS.
What is the life expectancy of people with ALS?
People who fight this disease usually live between three and five years after being diagnosed. However, many patients with ALS far exceed these numbers.
The ALS Association reports that about 10 percent of people diagnosed with ALS live at least 10 more years, while about 5 percent live at least 20 years or more. A prominent example is physicist Stephen Hawking, who lived with ALS for more than 50 years after his diagnosis.
Dane did not participate when he was diagnosed.
What are the symptoms of ALS?
Initially, ALS can present as slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, and/or leg weakness that persists for several days or weeks. ALS does not affect the senses or cognitive function.
As the disease progresses, common symptoms develop and include:
- Muscle stiffness, tightness or numbness, especially in the extremities
- Loss of motor control in the hands and arms
- Extreme fatigue
- Slurred speech and difficulty expressing speech
- Difficulty using the arms and legs
- Stumbling and falling
- The face is weak
- Uncontrollable moments of laughing or crying
- Difficulty breathing and swallowing
- Partial to total disability
In most patients with ALS, the disease will progress within three to five years, preventing the ability to move the arms and legs voluntarily. For others, the decline is more or less rapid.
The disease eventually disables the muscles needed to move, talk, eat and breathe. Most ALS patients die of respiratory failure.
How is ALS diagnosed?
Although there is no specific test to diagnose ALS, providers will often order tests such as a magnetic resonance imaging scan, spinal tap, muscle or nerve biopsy and/or electrodiagnostic tests to rule out other conditions.
Is ALS curable?
There is no known cure for ALS. Treatment includes symptom control and may include physical, exercise, speech, breathing and whirlpool and nutritional therapy.
A ventilator may be used for those with diaphragmatic breathing and breathing difficulties.
In the summer of 2014, the “Ice Bucket Challenge” went viral on social media, with many celebrities taking pictures of themselves holding a bucket of ice water over their heads. The campaign aimed to raise awareness and encourage donations to fund medical research.
The Food and Drug Administration has approved the drugs riluzole, edravone and sodium phenylbutyrate/taurursodiol for use in improving short-term survival and halting decline in patients with ALS.
Celebrities with ALS
ALS affects an estimated 30,000 Americans.
Besides Eric Dane and Stephen Hawking, other famous people who have suffered from ALS include Aaron Lazar, John Driskell Hopkins, Eric Stevens, Joe Bonsall, Roberta Flack and Kenneth Mitchell.
