Role of nutritional and lifestyle factors on the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis progression. Results from a multicenter cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is a devastating, untreatable motor neuron disease with unknown causes, but nutritional and lifestyle factors may play a role. To check this hypothesis, we conducted a multicentre cross-sectional study. Material and methods: This study recruited 241 patients, 96 females, and 145 males; the mean age at onset – 59.9±11.8 years. According to El Escorial criteria, 74 patients were definite ALS, 77 – probable, 55 – possible, and 35 –suspected; 187 patients had spinal onset and 54 – bulbar. Patients were categorized into three groups, according to their ΔFS: slow (81), intermediate (80), and fast progressors (80). Results: Current coffee consumers were 179 (74.3%), 34 (14.1%) were non-consumers, 22 (9.1%) – former consumers. The log-ΔFS was weakly correlated with the duration of coffee consumption (p=0.034), but not with the number of cup-years, or the intensity of coffee consumption (cups/day). Current tea consumers were 101 (41.9%), 6 (2.5%) were former-consumers, and 134 (55.6%) – non-consumers. The log-ΔFS was weakly correlated only with the consumption duration of black tea (p=0.028) but not with the number of cup-years. Current smokers were 44 (18.3%), former smokers – 10 (4.1%), and non-smokers – 187 (77.6%). The age of ALS onset was lower in current smokers than non-smokers, and the ΔFS was slightly, although not significantly, higher for smokers of >14 cigarettes/day. Current alcohol drinkers were 147 (61.0%), former drinkers – 5 (2.1%), and non-drinkers – 89 (36.9%). The log(ΔFS) was weakly correlated only with the duration of alcohol consumption (p = 0.028), but not with the mean number of drinks/day or the drink-years. Conclusions: Our study does not support the hypothesis that coffee or tea consumption is associated with the ALS progression rate, possible minor role for smoking and alcohol drinking was suggested.