Case-Control study on lifetime hormone exposure in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis women.

GARGIULO MONACHELLI GM; MARIELA BETTINI; IGNACIO MELE; AMORES MIRTHA; AGUSTINA B LARA; DE NICOLA AF; GONZALEZ DENISELLE M.C

Congreso; LXI Reunión Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Investigación Clínica (SAIC).; 2016

TITLE: CASE-CONTROL STUDY ON LIFETIME HORMONE EXPOSURE IN AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS WOMEN.SUMMARYNumerous epidemiological studies have shown a higher incidence of ALS in men than in women, which could denote a possible protective effect of female hormones, or a negative effect of androgens. We studied this through a questionnaire to ALS female patients and healthy female controls. Female ALS patients (18-90 years) and age-matched healthy controls without neurological conditions were selected. We questioned age of menarche and menopause, use of oral contraceptives (OC) and its duration, number of pregnancies, spontaneous abortions, whether or not they breastfed, and the presence of acne, hirsutism and/or ovarian cysts. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated in women prior to the onset of symptoms/diagnosis and in controls at the time of the questionnaire. Only in postmenopausal women of both groups we calculated the reproductive time-span (RT=menopause-menarche) and the lifetime estrogen exposure (EE=RT-[postovulatory time-(pregnancies+abortions+OC time)] in years. Fifty ALS and 50 controls with a mean age of 59±1.7 and 60±1.5 years, respectively, were analyzed. The age of menarche in ALS was higher than controls (p