No evidence for a large difference in ALS frequency in populations of African and European origin: a population based study in inner city London.
Abstract   Previous studies have suggested a lower incidence of ALS in people of African origin. We used a population based register in an urban setting from inner city London postcodes where there is a large population of people of African ancestry to compare the frequency of ALS in people of European and African origin. Population statistics stratified by age, gender and ethnicity were obtained from the 2001 census. Incidence and prevalence were calculated in each ethnic group. Results showed that in a population of 683,194, of which 22% were of African ancestry, 88 individuals with ALS were identified over a seven-year period, including 14 people with African ancestry. The adjusted incidence in people of African ancestry was 1.35 per 100,000 person-years (95% CI 0.72-2.3) and in those of European ancestry 1.97 per 100,000 person-years (95% CI 1.55-2.48). In conclusion, in this small population based study we could not detect a difference in rates of ALS between people of African ancestry and those of European ancestry.
Department of Neurology, Neuromuscular Diseases Unit, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
Ricardo
R
Rojas-Garcia
Kirsten M
KM
Scott
Jose Carlos
JC
Roche
William
W
Scotton
Naomi
N
Martin
Anna
A
Janssen
Laura H
LH
Goldstein
P Nigel
PN
Leigh
Cathy M
CM
Ellis
Christopher E
CE
Shaw
Ammar
A
Al-Chalabi
D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D044383:Black People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005006:Ethnicity; D006801:Humans; D008131:London / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*