title: Clinical features and lifestyle of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in Campania: brief overview of an Italian database.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Physical activity and occupational exposures appeared to play a relevant role in pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a neurodegenerative disease of unknown origin.
  
  
  METHODS
  We aimed to make an overview of the clinical characteristics and lifestyle (occupation and sport) of a population of 395 patients with ALS from Campania, in southern Italy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  ALS onset resulted anticipated of about 11 years in industry workers, whilst the more frequent site of onset among farmers was upper limbs. Compared to non-athletes, athletes, particularly soccer players, showed a 7 years anticipation of ALS onset, with higher mortality after 5 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We suggest that subjects genetically prone to abnormal response to hypoxia during strenuous physical activity or exposed to neurotoxic agents, such as athletes, farmers or industry workers, might present increased risk to develop ALS. Future case-control and follow-up studies on our population should be implemented to deepen the present results.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Neurologiche, Seconda Università degli Studi di Napoli, Naples, Italy. francesca.troisi@unina2.it
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Trojsi
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sagnelli
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vanacore
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Piccirillo
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Daniele
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Izzo
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Laiola
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Di Costanzo
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Savettieri
authors.forename: Maria Rosaria
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Monsurrò
authors.forename: Gioacchino
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tedeschi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D016208:Databases, Factual; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009790:Occupations; D013177:Sports