Study Links Long-Term Air Pollution to Higher ALS Risk and Faster Decline

Overview

• The JAMA Neurology paper analyzed 1,463 recent motor neuron disease cases against 1,768 siblings and more than 7,000 matched controls using pollutant estimates at home addresses up to ten years before diagnosis.
• Higher long-term exposure to particulate matter (PM2.5, PM2.5–10, PM10) and nitrogen dioxide correlated with a 20%–30% increase in motor neuron disease incidence.
• When restricted to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis cases, the association closely mirrored results seen across the broader motor neuron disease group.
• Patients with greater prediagnosis exposure showed faster motor and respiratory deterioration after diagnosis, faced higher mortality, and were more likely to require invasive ventilation.
• Authors emphasize the observational design and unknown mechanisms, note biologically plausible pathways such as inflammation and oxidative stress, and point to local traffic emissions as a likely contributor that warrants further study and policy attention.