What is the Difference Between ALS and MS (Multiple Sclerosis)?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚Multiple sclerosis (MS) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are both neurological disorders that affect the central nervous system (CNS), but they have different characteristics and symptoms. Here are the key differences between MS and ALS:
- Affected areas: MS damages the myelin sheaths in the brain and spinal cord, while ALS causes the death of motor neurons.
- Autoimmune disease: MS is an autoimmune disease, meaning the body attacks itself, whereas ALS is not an autoimmune condition.
- Gender prevalence: MS is more common in women, while ALS is more common in men.
- Ethnicity: MS is most common in Caucasians, while ALS affects all ethnic groups equally.
- Heritability: ALS can be inherited, with up to 10% of cases being passed down through genes, but MS cannot be inherited.
- Symptoms: ALS mainly affects physical functions, while MS can lead to problems with memory and thinking. However, recent data suggests that about half of individuals living with ALS also have issues with cognition, with about 20% experiencing dementia.
- Disease progression: The progression, treatments, and outlook for ALS and MS are very different, with ALS often leading to paralysis in its later stages and MS rarely leaving people completely debilitated.
- Age of onset: MS is usually discovered between the ages of 20 and 40, while ALS is often diagnosed between the ages of 40 and 70.
In summary, while MS and ALS share some similarities, they differ in the areas they affect, their status as autoimmune diseases, gender prevalence, ethnicity, heritability, and disease progression.
On this pageWhat is the Difference Between ALS and MS (Multiple Sclerosis)? Comparative Table: ALS vs MS (Multiple Sclerosis)
Comparative Table: ALS vs MS (Multiple Sclerosis)
Here is a table comparing the differences between ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) and MS (Multiple Sclerosis):
Feature | ALS | MS |
---|---|---|
Autoimmune Condition | No | Yes |
Affected Sex | Men 20% more common than women | Women more common than men |
Age Range | 40-70 years, but can develop at any age | 20-50 years, but can occur at any age |
Physical Symptoms | Mainly affects motor neurons, leading to more physical impairments | Disrupts nerve communication within the brain and spinal cord, affecting various functions |
Mental Impairment | Affects about 20% of individuals, with 4-5% experiencing dementia | More cognitive issues and memory problems |
Cause | Mutated protein in 10% of cases | Autoimmune disease that results in the destruction of myelin sheaths |
Life Expectancy | Average of 2-5 years from diagnosis, but can vary greatly | Life expectancy is about 7 years less than someone without the disease |
Treatment | Currently no cure, but treatments can help slow symptoms and prevent complications | Currently no cure, but treatments can help manage symptoms and slow progression |
Please note that some of these features may overlap, as more recent data suggests that about 20% of individuals living with ALS also have issues with cognitive functions, memory, and thinking.
Read more:
- ALS vs MND
- Multiple Sclerosis vs Motor Neuron Disease
- ALS vs SMA
- Multiple Sclerosis vs Systemic Sclerosis
- Multiple Sclerosis vs Rheumatoid Arthritis
- MS vs Parkinson’s
- ALS vs PLS
- NMO vs MS
- Fibromyalgia vs MS
- ALS vs Benign Fasciculation Syndrome
- CIDP vs MS
- MS vs Lyme Disease
- Guillain Barre Syndrome vs Myasthenia Gravis
- Spinal Muscular Atrophy vs Muscular Dystrophy
- Muscular Dystrophy vs Myasthenia Gravis
- Motor Neuron Disease vs Muscular Dystrophy
- Transverse Myelitis vs Guillain Barre Syndrome
- Amyloidosis vs Multiple Myeloma
- Parkinson’s vs Myasthenia Gravis