Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Risk, Family Income, and Fish Consumption Estimates of Mercury and Omega-3 PUFAs in the United States

Hannah I. Hoffman, Walter G. Bradley, Celia Y. Chen, Erik P. Pioro, Elijah W. Stommel and Angeline S. Andrew
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Hannah I. Hoffman: Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
Walter G. Bradley: Department of Neurology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33146, USA
Celia Y. Chen: Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
Erik P. Pioro: ALS and Neuromuscular Disease Center, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
Elijah W. Stommel: Department of Neurology, Geisel School of Medicine, Lebanon, NH 03756, USA
Angeline S. Andrew: Department of Neurology, Geisel School of Medicine, Lebanon, NH 03756, USA

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 9, 1-10

Abstract: Most amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) cases are considered sporadic, without a known genetic basis, and lifestyle factors are suspected to play an etiologic role. We previously observed increased risk of ALS associated with high nail mercury levels as an exposure biomarker and thus hypothesized that mercury exposure via fish consumption patterns increases ALS risk. Lifestyle surveys were obtained from ALS patients ( n = 165) and n = 330 age- and sex-matched controls without ALS enrolled in New Hampshire, Vermont, or Ohio, USA. We estimated their annual intake of mercury and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) via self-reported seafood consumption habits, including species and frequency. In our multivariable model, family income showed a significant positive association with ALS risk ( p = 0.0003, adjusted for age, sex, family history, education, and race). Neither the estimated annual mercury nor omega-3 PUFA intakes via seafood were associated with ALS risk. ALS incidence is associated with socioeconomic status; however, consistent with a prior international study, this relationship is not linked to mercury intake estimated via fish or seafood consumption patterns.

Keywords: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; mercury; omega-3 fatty acids; fish; neuromuscular disease (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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