Why do military veterans have greater risk of getting ALS?
MIRAMAR, Fla. โ Former military veteran John Hartwell never imagined that serving his country could put him at a greater risk for contracting amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. The disease progressively paralyzes its victims, attacking nerve cells and pathways in the brain or spinal cord. Dr. Ashook Verma, medical director of the ALS Center at the University of Miami, said the link between ALS and military veterans remains a mystery. That is why Verma and others in the medical community are pushing for more funding toward research. "It really needs to have a bigger effort, something like the Manhattan Project, in order to have an ALS cure," he said.