Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and diabetes on Guam: changing patterns of chronic disease in an island community.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) occurred on the island of Guam with unusually high incidence rates for many years but began to disappear with the island's westernization after WW II. The authors document these changes and suggest that they support a hypothesis that cultural changes could be responsible for both the virtual disappearance of this chronic degenerative neurologic disease as well as a concurrent surge in the prevalence of diabetes.
Haddock
Robert L
RL
Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services, Hagatna, Guam, USA. rlhaddock@dphss.govguam.net
Chen
Kwang-Ming
KM
D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D006141:Guam / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors; D012922:Social Change