Department of Neurology, Oklahoma City Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Edmond, OK, USA.
Department of Neurology, Oklahoma University Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA.
Med Sci Monit. 2024 Nov 17;30:e945816. doi: 10.12659/MSM.945816.
BACKGROUND Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a motor neuron disease that leads to rapid degeneration of nerves in the brain and spinal cord, with eventual loss of voluntary movements, including breathing. This retrospective study of medical record data from 105 US veterans diagnosed with ALS at the Oklahoma City VA Medical Center between 2010 and 2021 aimed to identify patient demographics, and the causes and places of death for these veterans. MATERIAL AND METHODS Data from 105 US veterans diagnosed with ALS by the El Escorial criteria and supported by neurophysiology testing was reviewed. The information about the place and cause of death was obtained from each patient's care provider and death certificate. Crude mortality rates (per 100 person-years) and standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) were calculated for the causes of death, by sex, age group, and location of death. RESULTS During the 11-year follow-up period, 80 (76.2%) veterans with ALS died. The mean (SD) follow-up time was 4.53 (4.55) years. Most of the deaths were due to respiratory failure and pneumonia (n=43, mortality rate=9.21 per 100 person-years). Most patients died at home (n=71, 88.7%). The annual crude mortality rate was 16.7 and the all-cause death SMR was 25.63 (95% CI, 20.32-31.55). CONCLUSIONS This study's findings are that in veterans with ALS, the main cause of death is respiratory disease (failure). The main location of death was the home, with their family members. The all-cause mortality rate among veterans with ALS was 26 times greater than for the general Oklahoma population.
肌萎缩侧索硬化症（ALS）是一种运动神经元疾病，导致大脑和脊髓中的神经迅速退化，最终导致自主运动丧失，包括呼吸。本研究回顾性分析了 2010 年至 2021 年期间在俄克拉荷马城退伍军人事务部医疗中心被诊断为 ALS 的 105 名美国退伍军人的医疗记录数据，旨在确定患者的人口统计学特征，以及这些退伍军人的死因和死亡地点。
对 105 名根据埃尔埃斯科里亚尔标准诊断为 ALS 且得到神经生理学检测支持的美国退伍军人的数据进行了回顾。从每位患者的护理提供者和死亡证明中获得了有关死亡地点和原因的信息。按性别、年龄组和死亡地点计算了死因的粗死亡率（每 100 人年）和标准化死亡率比（SMR）。
在 11 年的随访期间，80 名（76.2%）ALS 退伍军人死亡。平均（SD）随访时间为 4.53（4.55）年。大多数死亡是由于呼吸衰竭和肺炎（n=43，死亡率为 9.21 每 100 人年）。大多数患者在家中死亡（n=71，88.7%）。年粗死亡率为 16.7，全因死亡 SMR 为 25.63（95%CI，20.32-31.55）。
本研究发现，在 ALS 退伍军人中，主要死因是呼吸系统疾病（衰竭）。主要死亡地点是家庭，有他们的家庭成员。ALS 退伍军人的全因死亡率比俄克拉荷马州一般人群高 26 倍。
