Epidemiology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients in a centre in Buenos Aires
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.
Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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Format: | Digital revista |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Academia Brasileira de Neurologia - ABNEURO
2011
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Online Access: | http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0004-282X2011000700003 |
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