Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and sports: a case–control study |
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| Authors: | M. Valenti F. E. Pontieri F. Conti E. Altobelli T. Manzoni L. Frati |
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| Affiliation: | Section of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, Faculty of Human Movement and Sports Science, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy. valenti@cc.univaq.it |
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| Abstract: | An increased incidence of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) amongst soccer players in Italy has recently been reported. A case-control study (300 cases and 300 matched controls) was conducted to explore the association between ALS and physical/sports activities, with specific reference to trauma-related risk. Neither the practice of competitive sports nor sports-related traumas were found to be associated with an increased risk of ALS. The practice of physical activities or sports is not per se a risk factor for ALS. Our results exclude sports-related microtraumas as etiopathogenic factors in the natural history of ALS. |
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| Keywords: | amyotrophic lateral sclerosis epidemiology risk factors sport |
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