How do you get amyotrophic lateral sclerosis?
The exact cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is not fully understood, but it can occur sporadically or be inherited. In most cases, ALS develops randomly without a clear cause (sporadic ALS), while about 5-10% of cases are hereditary (familial ALS), caused by genetic mutations. Risk factors include age (typically developing between ages 40-70), gender (slightly more common in men), and potentially environmental factors, although these are still under investigation.