Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHow Common Is ALS in Women?ALS and the BodyCausesSymptoms in WomenOutlook for WomenFrequently Asked Questions

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

How Common Is ALS in Women?

ALS and the Body

Causes

Symptoms in Women

Outlook for Women

Frequently Asked Questions

Earlyamyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)symptoms include slurred speech and muscle weakness, which eventually progresses toparalysisand death. Although ALS affects men more than women, some factors may increase women’s chances of getting the disease earlier in life.

This article discusses ALS in women, including symptoms, causes, and prognosis.

sasirin pamai / Getty Images

An older woman sitting in a wheelchair outdoors

ALS is about 20% more common in men than women and is most likely to occur in people who are between 40 and 70 years old.A recent study suggests certain factors could be responsible for women getting the disease sooner than later. These factors include:

Some researchers conclude that sex hormones likeestrogenandprogesteronemay protect against ALS.That explains why women who achieve menopause early in life may be at higher risk for getting ALS sooner.

How Does ALS Affect the Body?

Motor neurons(nerve cells) carry messages from your brain, brain stem, and spinal cord to your muscles. Motor neurons controlvoluntarybody movement. For reasons not fully understood, ALS damages and destroys motor neurons.

When muscles can’t receive messages from the destroyed nerve cells, they no longer function properly. Therefore, muscles become weak, stiff, andatrophied(broken down). Eventually, the muscles stop working completely, resulting in paralysis. This process is the same in both men and women.

Talking

Chewing

Swallowing

Breathing

extremities

Brain

Senses

Digestion

Urination

Bowels

Sexual function

ALS Causes

ALS is a complicated disease categorized as either sporadic or familial.Sporadic ALS (SALS)occurs in more than 90% of all ALS cases. Although it’s not directly linked to family history or environmental causes, there is likely a genetic component.Familial ALS (FALS)is responsible for 5–10% of ALS cases and is a hereditary condition.

Though the cause of sporadic and familial ALS is similar in both genders, environmental factors may contribute to women getting ALS sooner in life.

Genetics

Genesare inherited from each parent and are responsible for specific characteristics, like eye color. Mutations in genes can lead to diseases such as ALS. The genes responsible for FALS can be passed to offspring, resulting in a 25–50% likelihood of getting FALS.

A few genetic mutations associated with ALS include C9ORF72, SOD1, TARDBP, and FUS.Although researchers don’t entirely understand why genetic alterations cause ALS, they believe that mutations disrupt how specific proteins work in the body, leading to abnormalities.

Environment

Important to women, scientists have discovered that exposure to persistent pollutants interrupts the processes of theendocrine system, which is responsible for producing sex hormones. Decreased sex hormones can lead women to get ALS earlier in life.More research is needed to understand the cause of ALS in women.

Other environmental factors that could contribute to ALS include:

ALS Symptoms in Women

Women are more likely to have bulbar-onset ALS compared to men. This means symptoms first appear in the face and neck, affecting speech and swallowing. Bulbar-onset tends to be more aggressive than limb-onset ALS.

Early Signs

Symptoms of ALS in women can be gradual and affect only one side of the body. Early symptoms include:

Later Signs

As ALS progresses, the symptoms affect both sides of the body and include all voluntary muscles. Late signs include:

Even during late-stage ALS, the brain often remains intact unless there isfrontotemporal dementia (FTD).

Outlook for Women With ALS

The outlook for women with ALS depends on the person and the severity of the disease. Most people with ALS survive two to five years after diagnosis; however, some women can live up to 10 or more years with the disease. Scientists continue to work at understanding the cause of ALS in hopes of developing better medications to treat it.

Summary

Although men are more likely to be diagnosed with ALS, some factors make this disease unique to women. In addition to genetics and environmental considerations, female sex hormones may also play a role in the development of ALS. Difficulty talking, swallowing, or breathing is often an early sign. The outlook for women with ALS depends on the severity of the disease; however, death usually occurs two to five years after diagnosis.

Frequently Asked QuestionsEarly symptoms of ALS can be subtle and overlooked, but as the disease progresses, symptoms become more recognizable. People between 40 and 65 are more susceptible to ALS.Learn MoreWhat Are the Stages of ALS?Multiple sclerosis,Kennedy disease, andLyme diseasecan be mistaken for ALS.Learn MoreALS and Multiple Sclerosis: Similarities and DifferencesAlthough there’s no way to check yourself for ALS, reporting changes in the strength and size of your muscles, along with changes in speech or breathing, can help your healthcare provider identify ALS.Learn MoreHow ALS Is Diagnosed

Early symptoms of ALS can be subtle and overlooked, but as the disease progresses, symptoms become more recognizable. People between 40 and 65 are more susceptible to ALS.Learn MoreWhat Are the Stages of ALS?

Early symptoms of ALS can be subtle and overlooked, but as the disease progresses, symptoms become more recognizable. People between 40 and 65 are more susceptible to ALS.

Learn MoreWhat Are the Stages of ALS?

Multiple sclerosis,Kennedy disease, andLyme diseasecan be mistaken for ALS.Learn MoreALS and Multiple Sclerosis: Similarities and Differences

Multiple sclerosis,Kennedy disease, andLyme diseasecan be mistaken for ALS.

Learn MoreALS and Multiple Sclerosis: Similarities and Differences

Although there’s no way to check yourself for ALS, reporting changes in the strength and size of your muscles, along with changes in speech or breathing, can help your healthcare provider identify ALS.Learn MoreHow ALS Is Diagnosed

Although there’s no way to check yourself for ALS, reporting changes in the strength and size of your muscles, along with changes in speech or breathing, can help your healthcare provider identify ALS.

Learn MoreHow ALS Is Diagnosed

13 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.ALS Association.Who gets ALS?Raymond J, Mehta P, Larson T, et al.Reproductive history and age of onset for women diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: data from the National ALS Registry: 2010-2018.Neuroepidemiology. 2021;55(5):416-424. doi:10.1159/000516344Vegeto E, Villa A, Della Torre S, et al.The role of sex and sex hormones in neurodegenerative diseases.Endocr Rev. 2019;41(2):273-319. doi:10.1210/endrev/bnz005National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) fact sheet.ALS Association.Disease mechanisms.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Motor neuron diseases fact sheet.Muscular Dystrophy Association.Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: causes/inheritance.Trojsi F, D’Alvano G, Bonavita S, Tedeschi G.Genetics and sex in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS): Is there a link?Int J Mol Sci. 2020;21(10):3647. doi:10.3390/ijms21103647Ghasemi M, Brown RH Jr.Genetics of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med. 2018;8(5):a024125. doi:10.1101/cshperspect.a024125ALS Association.Environmental factors.van den Bos MAJ, Geevasinga N, Higashihara M, et al.Pathophysiology and diagnosis of als: Insights from advances in neurophysiological techniques.Int J Mol Sci. 2019;20(11):2818. doi:10.3390/ijms20112818MedlinePlus.Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.ALS Association.Understanding ALS.

13 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.ALS Association.Who gets ALS?Raymond J, Mehta P, Larson T, et al.Reproductive history and age of onset for women diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: data from the National ALS Registry: 2010-2018.Neuroepidemiology. 2021;55(5):416-424. doi:10.1159/000516344Vegeto E, Villa A, Della Torre S, et al.The role of sex and sex hormones in neurodegenerative diseases.Endocr Rev. 2019;41(2):273-319. doi:10.1210/endrev/bnz005National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) fact sheet.ALS Association.Disease mechanisms.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Motor neuron diseases fact sheet.Muscular Dystrophy Association.Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: causes/inheritance.Trojsi F, D’Alvano G, Bonavita S, Tedeschi G.Genetics and sex in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS): Is there a link?Int J Mol Sci. 2020;21(10):3647. doi:10.3390/ijms21103647Ghasemi M, Brown RH Jr.Genetics of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med. 2018;8(5):a024125. doi:10.1101/cshperspect.a024125ALS Association.Environmental factors.van den Bos MAJ, Geevasinga N, Higashihara M, et al.Pathophysiology and diagnosis of als: Insights from advances in neurophysiological techniques.Int J Mol Sci. 2019;20(11):2818. doi:10.3390/ijms20112818MedlinePlus.Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.ALS Association.Understanding ALS.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

ALS Association.Who gets ALS?Raymond J, Mehta P, Larson T, et al.Reproductive history and age of onset for women diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: data from the National ALS Registry: 2010-2018.Neuroepidemiology. 2021;55(5):416-424. doi:10.1159/000516344Vegeto E, Villa A, Della Torre S, et al.The role of sex and sex hormones in neurodegenerative diseases.Endocr Rev. 2019;41(2):273-319. doi:10.1210/endrev/bnz005National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) fact sheet.ALS Association.Disease mechanisms.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Motor neuron diseases fact sheet.Muscular Dystrophy Association.Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: causes/inheritance.Trojsi F, D’Alvano G, Bonavita S, Tedeschi G.Genetics and sex in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS): Is there a link?Int J Mol Sci. 2020;21(10):3647. doi:10.3390/ijms21103647Ghasemi M, Brown RH Jr.Genetics of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med. 2018;8(5):a024125. doi:10.1101/cshperspect.a024125ALS Association.Environmental factors.van den Bos MAJ, Geevasinga N, Higashihara M, et al.Pathophysiology and diagnosis of als: Insights from advances in neurophysiological techniques.Int J Mol Sci. 2019;20(11):2818. doi:10.3390/ijms20112818MedlinePlus.Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.ALS Association.Understanding ALS.

ALS Association.Who gets ALS?

Raymond J, Mehta P, Larson T, et al.Reproductive history and age of onset for women diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: data from the National ALS Registry: 2010-2018.Neuroepidemiology. 2021;55(5):416-424. doi:10.1159/000516344

Vegeto E, Villa A, Della Torre S, et al.The role of sex and sex hormones in neurodegenerative diseases.Endocr Rev. 2019;41(2):273-319. doi:10.1210/endrev/bnz005

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) fact sheet.

ALS Association.Disease mechanisms.

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Motor neuron diseases fact sheet.

Muscular Dystrophy Association.Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: causes/inheritance.

Trojsi F, D’Alvano G, Bonavita S, Tedeschi G.Genetics and sex in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS): Is there a link?Int J Mol Sci. 2020;21(10):3647. doi:10.3390/ijms21103647

Ghasemi M, Brown RH Jr.Genetics of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med. 2018;8(5):a024125. doi:10.1101/cshperspect.a024125

ALS Association.Environmental factors.

van den Bos MAJ, Geevasinga N, Higashihara M, et al.Pathophysiology and diagnosis of als: Insights from advances in neurophysiological techniques.Int J Mol Sci. 2019;20(11):2818. doi:10.3390/ijms20112818

MedlinePlus.Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

ALS Association.Understanding ALS.

Meet Our Medical Expert Board

Share Feedback

Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit

What is your feedback?