Epidemiology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients in a centre in Buenos Aires.

M. BETTINI; G.M. GARGIULO-MONACHELLI; G. RODRIGUEZ; R.C. REY; L. MARTÍNEZ PERALTA; R.E. SICA

ARQUIVOS DE NEURO-PSIQUIATRIA

ASSOC ARQUIVOS NEURO- PSIQUIATRIA

Lugar: San Paulo; Año: 2011 vol. 69 p. 867 - 870

0004-282X

Sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (sALS) is considered a multifactorial disease with genetic and environmental factors causing motor neuron degeneration. Objective: To describe the epidemiological and occupational characteristics of patients with sALS who attended the Ramos Mejía Hospital at Buenos Aires, Argentina. Method: We analyzed the medical records of sALS patients diagnosed between 2001 and 2008. All occupations were coded according to the International Standard Classification of Occupation (ISCO). Results: 187 patients were assessed, 38.5% were women and 61.5% men. Mean age at diagnosis was 55 years. 16% of them came from rural areas; 68% of the studied population had no health insurance. 40% were employed in elementary occupations, 19 were technicians and 8 handicraftsmen. Conclusion: The most represented profession was elementary occupation. A large proportion of patients came from rural areas, which might suggest an increased risk of environmental exposure to an unknown agent in those regions.