NZ has highest rate of motor neurone disease of any country in the world | 1 News Now – NZ MND Research Network.
Where are most cases of ALS? In the U.S., the Midwest currently has the largest number of people with ALS (at 5.5 cases per 100,000 population). Researchers have also found that the prevalence rates of ALS are highest in Uruguay, New Zealand, and the United States.
MND is uncommon but not rare. Recent statistics estimate there are over 2,000 people in Australia currently diagnosed with MND and every day 2 Australians are diagnosed with MND. The average age of onset is 50.
It is estimated that there are 2,094 Australians living with MND in 2015, of whom 60% are male and 40% are female. The highest prevalence rate is reported in males aged between 75 and 84 years. The prevalence rate is estimated to be 8.7 per 100,000 Australians, or 1 in 11,434 Australians.
Aging of the world population is seen as its primary driver but does not account entirely for the increasing incidence and prevalence. This indicates that important genetic or potentially preventable environmental risk factors are currently driving the increase in MND risk.
Generally, MND is believed to be caused because of a combination of environmental, lifestyle and genetic factors. Most cases of MND develop without an obvious cause. Around 1 in 10 cases are 'familial', meaning the condition is inherited. This is due to a genetic mutation, or an error in the gene.
Motor neurone disease is an uncommon condition that mainly affects people in their 60s and 70s, but it can affect adults of all ages. It's caused by a problem with cells in the brain and nerves called motor neurones. These cells gradually stop working over time. It's not known why this happens.
Researchers have hypothesized that vigorous physical activity might increase exposure to environmental toxins, facilitate the transport of toxins to the brain, increase the absorption of toxins, or increase the athlete''''s susceptibility to motor neuron disease through added physical stress.
Inherited MND affects up to 1 in 10 people with MND and means they probably have a family history of the disease. Where this is the case, it is impossible to predict when or if a family history means MND will happen. Other triggers may still be needed for the disease to begin.
Motor neurone disease (MND) affects around 5,000 people in the UK every year. There is currently no cure. An international clinical trial led by Professor Dame Pamela J Shaw in the UK has been shown to slow down progression of a type of motor neurone disease and could be a turning point for patient care.
Population and ALS prevalence estimates
The prevalence rates of ALS were highest in Uruguay, New Zealand and the United States, and lowest in Serbia, China and Taiwan (Supplementary Tables 1 and 2).
The rates of ALS seem to be increasing slightly, although it's hard to say why; part of the reason is thought to be that people are simply living longer, and that doctors are getting better at diagnosing it.
Biological sex—Males are slightly more likely to develop ALS. However, as people age the difference between the sexes disappears. Race and ethnicity—Caucasians and non-Hispanics are most likely to develop the disease, but ALS affects people of all races and ethnic backgrounds.
A new drug, called Amantadine Hydrochloride, was added to the trial in April 2023. New drugs will be selected for investigation in MND-SMART based on continuous review of constantly updated scientific evidence as well as findings from state-of-the-art human stem cell based drug discovery platforms.
MND is not a common disease. It affects adults and sometimes younger adults. You are likely to be more than 40 years old at diagnosis, and most people with MND are aged between 50 and 70. Men are affected almost twice as often as women, but this varies.
There is strong evidence that oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of motor neurone disease (MND).
This study confirms that in some people, frequent strenuous exercise leads to an increase in the risk of MND. “It is important to stress that we know that most people who undertake vigorous exercise do not develop MND. Sport has a large number of health benefits and most sportsmen and women do not develop MND.
While low levels of exercise were associated with a protective effect, more aggressive exercise was associated with increased risk. However, of these findings, only high cholesterol emerged as a clear modifiable factor that could be targeted to reduce risk of MND.
Many of the people we talked to had been experiencing symptoms for months or even years before finally getting a diagnosis. Some lived with their symptoms for a long time before deciding to go to their GP, perhaps putting them down to stress, old age, or injury. (See 'First symptoms of MND').
MND is very rare under 40 and usually develops over the age of 50. The most common age of onset is around 75-79. It is more common in men than women. Research suggests the estimated lifetime risk of developing MND is approximately 1 in 350 for men and 1 in 500 for women.
In 1 out of 4 cases, the first MND symptoms will affect the muscles used for speaking and swallowing. These problems might initially affect the muscles used for speech and swallowing. Increasingly slurred speech (dysarthria) is usually the first sign of this type of MND. It might be misdiagnosed as a stroke.