Survey.

[Guest]

When I was diagnosed with MND in Australia, I mistakenly thought someone would question me about my past health, lifestyle and childhood to see if there was anything showing up as to why I got the disease.
I honestly thought someone somewhere would be processing this info into a computer to see if it came up with any common themes. How wrong I was. Seems to me, people who are active are more likely to get it. Has this been studied?

Has any research like this been done, and if so, when?

Would be interested to know the answer.
Thanks.

[matthew55]

Speaking as a life long couch potato I would question your hypothesis. 😊

[Guest]

Thanks for the observation. I'm underwhelmed by the responses.

[Doug Carpenter]

An association between fitness, e.g. athletes, sports people, farmers, firemen, the military, and MND is widely mentioned in the literature and conference presentations. But the data never quite reach statistical significance and remain anecdotal.

In addition, there is the perennial problem of correlation versus causation.

We have a complex, multi-factor disease.
See:
https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/6/9/e012054
for an Australian survey.

Doug

[denise]

my husband is awaiting results of blood tests to show if what he has is hereditary as we do not know what his father died of. he also pointed out to the doctor that he broke his leg while playing football, aged 15, and ever since his leg has had a pulse/throbbing. the doctor said that this could well be where the problem started. there seems to be some thought that sports played on grass could be a factor. to be honest i dont think they know where it comes from.
denise

[DeeH]

Hi Spooky

when the MND nurse visited she said last week, that of all the people she has supported. Only one could be considered a couch potato.
She has been in her job for 20 years.

I read a book last year call "Why Olga Runs" about people who live into their 90s and 100s in great health,
some were being studied to try and understand why some people live longer etc

from the book I came to understand and I may be wrong, that certain behaviours switch genes on and off.
ie diet, exercise, smoking, sunshine. even where you lived as a child

My thought which could be very very wrong,

is could in a small, tiny, tiny fraction of people, exercise switch on a muscle wasting gene over time
BUT we don't know which gene or who has it

For example there is a gene which if is ON, you don't get any kind of dementia. But less than 2% of the world population is supposed to have it.

Husband has had his blood taken for gene therapy tests, but gene testing is still not fully understood.

Husband has no one in his family with MND and in fact all his grandparents lived healthy lives until their 90s

In my family, all 4 grandparents lived to 80s, 2 got elder onset dementia after age 80, of the 3 all smoked heavily. But one of the non, smokers got dementia

Both my parents diagnosed with dementia at 56

Husband is a non smoking and vegi for last 35 years.

In short, it is a mystery AT THE MOMENT

All the best

[matthew55]

My grandfather lived to 102 and died of old age yet his children were dead before 70 with dementia? Go figure. x

[DeeH]

Matthew55

I know it is crazy