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. 2015 Oct 30;10(10):e0141500.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0141500. eCollection 2015.

Prognostic Factors in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Population-Based Study

Mirian Conceicao Moura  1 , Maria Rita Carvalho Garbi Novaes  2 , Emanoel Junio Eduardo  3 , Yuri S S P Zago  3 , Ricardo Del Negro Barroso Freitas  3 , Luiz Augusto Casulari  4
Affiliations

Prognostic Factors in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Population-Based Study

Mirian Conceicao Moura et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Objective: To determine the prognostic factors associated with survival in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis at diagnosis.

Methods: This retrospective population-based study evaluated 218 patients treated with riluzole between 2005 and 2014 and described their clinical and demographic profiles after the analysis of clinical data and records from the mortality information system in the Federal District, Brazil. Cox multivariate regression analysis was conducted for the parameters found.

Results: The study sample consisted of 132 men and 86 women with a mean age at disease onset of 57.2±12.3 years; 77.6% of them were Caucasian. The mean periods between disease onset and diagnosis were 22.7 months among men and 23.5 months among women, and the mean survival periods were 45.7±47.0 months among men and 39.3±29.8 months among women. In addition, 80.3% patients presented non-bulbar-onset amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and 19.7% presented bulbar-onset. Cox regression analysis indicated worse prognosis for body mass index (BMI) <25 kg/m2 (relative risk [RR]: 3.56, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.44-8.86), age >75 years (RR: 12.47, 95% CI: 3.51-44.26), and bulbar-onset (RR: 4.56, 95% CI: 2.06-10.12). Electromyography did not confirm the diagnosis in 55.6% of the suspected cases and in 27.9% of the bulbar-onset cases.

Conclusions: The factors associated with lower survival in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis were age >75 years, BMI <25 kg/m2, and bulbar-onset.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Age distribution in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Fig 2
Fig 2. Survival of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis patients taking riluzole in Federal District.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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