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Lead Can Play a Role in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis?

Several scientific studies have investigated whether lead is a risk factor for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Some studies give evidence that lead exposure in the work environment may be a risk factor for ALS. It involves, for example, lead in paint. It is unclear whether and how lead in solid form, such as a bed frame, could play a role.

Sunday, October 25, 2015 there was attention for ALS in the television show of Ivo Niehe. A patient with ALS was interviewed whose husband also had ALS and was deceased. A big lead plate behind their bed was mentioned as possible cause of ALS. The Dutch ALS Centre is studying the case. Upon examination of lead as a risk factor in a patient, it is important to have multiple blood samples from patients, both before and after the diagnosis. After all, if there's no increased concentration of lead in the blood, there must have been previously increased concentration. Blood collection for the diagnosis, however, is rarely available. This makes it difficult to properly study such a case as it is not possible to confirm or exclude the possibility that exposure to lead has played a role in a patient.

Research on Lead and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

The ALS Centre of the Netherlands is launching an investigation into lead associated with ALS. In this study, the ALS Centre looks together with the IRAS (Institute for Risk Assessment Studies) for measurements from a large-scale population where patients have participated in before getting ALS. In this way, the concentrations of lead can be examined prior to the diagnosis. If exposure to lead is a risk factor for ALS, it would be expected that the concentration in the blood is raised prior to the diagnosis. In addition, the ALS Centre investigates other possible risk factors for ALS, such as nutrition and exposure to various harmful substances in the workplace.

Source: http://www.als-centrum.nl/kan-lood-een-rol-spelen-bij-als/

• Reference

• 1 Rasmussen S, Allentoft ME, Nielsen K , et al. Early divergent strains of Yersinia pestis in Eurasia 5,000 years ago. Cell 2015; 163 (3) 571-582