What is MND and Are Athletes More Likely to Be Diagnosed?
MND impacts nerves found in the cerebrum and spinal cord, which tell your muscles what to do.
This causes them to lose strength and stiffen gradually and typically impacts how you walk, speak, eat and respire.
It is a quite uncommon condition that is most common in people above age fifty, but adults of all ages can be affected.
An individual's lifetime risk of contracting MND is one in 300.
Approximately 5,000 people in the UK will have the condition at any one time.
Researchers are not sure what causes MND, but it is likely to be a combination of the genes - or inherited characteristics - you inherit from your parents when you are born, and additional lifestyle factors.
For up to 10% of people with MND, particular genetic factors play a much larger role.
Typically there is a hereditary background of the illness in such instances.
What are the Early Symptoms of the Condition?
MND impacts each person uniquely.
Not all individuals has the same symptoms, or encounters them in the identical sequence.
The condition can advance at different speeds too.
Among the most common signs are:
- loss of muscle strength and cramps
- stiff joints
- problems with your speech
- issues with ingesting, consuming food and drinking
- reduced cough reflex
Does There Exist a Treatment?
No cure, but there is optimism coming from therapies focused on various types of MND.
MND is not a single illness - it is actually multiple that result in the death of nerve cells.
An innovative medication called tofersen works in only one in 50 patients, however it has been demonstrated to slow - and in certain instances even undo - a portion of the symptoms of MND.
It has been referred to as "absolutely groundbreaking" and a "real moment of hope" for the entire condition.
Although the drug has recently received approval in the European Union, it is not currently accessible in the UK.
Just one drug currently licensed for the treatment of MND in the UK and endorsed by the NHS.
Riluzole may slow down the advancement of the disease and prolong life by several months, but it cannot repair damage.
What is Life Expectancy for MND?
Some people can live for many years with MND, including renowned scientist Stephen Hawking, who was diagnosed at the age of 22 and lived to 76.
But for most, the disease progresses quickly and life expectancy is just a few years.
According to the non-profit MND Association, the disease kills a third of individuals within a year and over 50% within 24 months of diagnosis.
As the neurons cease functioning, swallowing and breathing become increasingly difficult and many people need feeding tubes or respiratory aids to help them remain living.
Do Sports Professionals More Likely to Be Diagnosed?
The precise reason has not been identified, but top-level sportspeople appear disproportionately affected by MND.
Two studies from 2005 and 2009 showed that soccer players have an increased risk of developing MND.
Research from 2022 by the Glasgow University including four hundred ex- Scotland rugby union players concluded they had an increased risk of developing the disease.
Scientists also found that rugby athletes who have suffered multiple concussions have biological differences that could render them more susceptible to contracting MND.
The MND Association recognizes there is a "correlation" between contact sports and MND.
It added that while the sportspeople studied were had a greater chance to develop MND, it did not prove the athletic activities directly caused the condition.
The charity also stresses that "documented MND cases in these studies is remains quite small, and so determining there is a certain elevated chance could be misinterpreted if this is simply a grouping due to random chance".
Several prominent sports figures have been diagnosed with the condition in recent years.
This encompasses former rugby players, footballers, and cricket athletes.
Across the Atlantic, baseball player Lou Gehrig succumbed to the condition aged 39.
