US EditionCommon Psychiatric Medications May Increase Risk of ALS
- A nested case-control study published online on June 4 compared 1,057 ALS patients diagnosed between 2015 and 2023 in Sweden with over 5,000 matched controls without motor neuron disease.
- Researchers investigated whether prescribed anxiolytics, hypnotics, sedatives, or antidepressants were linked to increased ALS risk, accounting for genetic and environmental factors but noting causation remains unclear.
- The study found a 25% relative increase in ALS risk overall, with odds ratios of 6.1 within one year for hypnotics and sedatives, 1.6 for anxiolytics 1-5 years prior, and 1.2 for antidepressants over five years before diagnosis.
- Ammar Al-Chalabi highlighted that the impact on disease risk is minimal except during the year just before diagnosis, while neuroscientist Susannah Tye urged careful consideration before linking psychiatric medications directly to increased risk.
- Amylyx Pharmaceuticals received FDA fast track designation for AMX0114, an antisense oligonucleotide targeting calpain-2 to prevent axonal degeneration in ALS, with a Phase 1 trial ongoing and early data expected later this year.
13 Articles
13 Articles
Medscape
Anti-Aging, Acupuncture and Health NewsCommon Psychiatric Meds Tied to Increased ALS Risk
Use of antidepressants, anxiolytics, or sedatives is linked to increased risk for ALS and faster functional decline post-diagnosis vs nonuse, new research shows.
NextGenALS planning golf jamboree to fund ALS research
By Brian Roebke Editor When Art Weber passed away from ALS in 1999, he left a lifetime of love and memories with his family but he also left behind a terrible disease that afflicted his children. Full text available to subscribers only. If you are a current subscriber, please use the login below to continue reading this article. To become a subscriber, please click here.
ALS Risk Factors Linked to Certain Antidepressants, Anti-Anxiety Drugs: Study
Patients taking at least two psychiatric drugs had a greater risk of developing ALS than other individuals, even if the medications were prescribed more than five years earlier. New research suggests that certain kinds of psychiatric medications can increase an individual’s chance of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) by as much as sixfold. The fi…
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State orders mandatory reporting of ALS cases
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has adopted a new rule regarding the reporting of cases of ALS. The fatal condition also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease has no cure and causes people to eventually lose their ability to move and speak. The new rule requires mandatory reporting for cases of ALS in Michigan. The rule went into effect in May, making Michigan the fifth state in the U.S. to implement mandatory ALS case reporting, wh…
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