MND Association funded researchers have shown that high levels of physical activity can be linked to the development of MND in some people who also have a l genetic risk. It is possible that some high-performance athletes, such as rugby players, may carry a different genetic risk to the general population.
Research shows spike in Motor Neurone Disease among rugby players - study. A new study looking at the impact of concussion on a group of former Scottish international rugby players has found that they were 15 times more likely to develop motor neurone disease (MND) than the general population.
Researchers have hypothesized that vigorous physical activity might increase exposure to environmental toxins, facilitate the transport of toxins to the brain, increase the absorption of toxins, or increase the athlete''''s susceptibility to motor neuron disease through added physical stress.
Rugby union has been urged to cut back on competitive matches and stop contact training sessions altogether during the season following a landmark study which found the risk of motor neurone disease among Scottish international players was 15 times higher than the general population.
One known cause of MND is an error in your genes with 20% of cases linked to genetic causes. Half of genetic cases will be in people who have a family history of MND. The other half of genetic cases will occur in those without a family history.
It is thought that MND is caused by a mix of genetic and environmental factors, and several possible factors have been suggested, including exposure to chemicals, fractures and injuries, smoking, military service, and engaging in some sports or high levels of exercise, but research studies have so far failed to find ...
Lifestyle causes
Certain dietary factors, such as higher intake of antioxidants and vitamin E, have been shown, at least in some studies, to decrease the risk of MND. Interestingly, increased physical fitness and lower body mass index (BMI) have been shown to be associated with a higher risk of MND.
Motor neurone disease is an uncommon condition that mainly affects people in their 60s and 70s, but it can affect adults of all ages. It's caused by a problem with cells in the brain and nerves called motor neurones. These cells gradually stop working over time. It's not known why this happens.
This study adds to the evidence that repeated head injury with concussion, playing sports in general, and playing football (soccer) in particular, are associated with an increased risk of MND.
Life expectancy after diagnosis is one to five years, with 10 per cent of people with MND living 10 years or more. The needs of people with MND are complex and vary from person to person.
While low levels of exercise were associated with a protective effect, more aggressive exercise was associated with increased risk. However, of these findings, only high cholesterol emerged as a clear modifiable factor that could be targeted to reduce risk of MND.
There is strong evidence that oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of motor neurone disease (MND).
NZ has highest rate of motor neurone disease of any country in the world | 1 News Now – NZ MND Research Network.
Motor neurone disease (MND) affects around 5,000 people in the UK every year. There is currently no cure. An international clinical trial led by Professor Dame Pamela J Shaw in the UK has been shown to slow down progression of a type of motor neurone disease and could be a turning point for patient care.
MND is not a common disease. It affects adults and sometimes younger adults. You are likely to be more than 40 years old at diagnosis, and most people with MND are aged between 50 and 70. Men are affected almost twice as often as women, but this varies.
Generally, MND is believed to be caused because of a combination of environmental, lifestyle and genetic factors. Most cases of MND develop without an obvious cause. Around 1 in 10 cases are 'familial', meaning the condition is inherited. This is due to a genetic mutation, or an error in the gene.
Inherited MND affects up to 1 in 10 people with MND and means they probably have a family history of the disease. Where this is the case, it is impossible to predict when or if a family history means MND will happen. Other triggers may still be needed for the disease to begin.
There is research which suggests people who play football at a professional level have an increased risk of neurodegenerative disease with a few of these studies specifically stating that playing football increases your risk of developing MND.
The different types of MND cause similar symptoms and have three stages: early, middle, and advanced. The diseases progress at different speeds and vary in severity.
Many of the people we talked to had been experiencing symptoms for months or even years before finally getting a diagnosis. Some lived with their symptoms for a long time before deciding to go to their GP, perhaps putting them down to stress, old age, or injury. (See 'First symptoms of MND').
This study confirms that in some people, frequent strenuous exercise leads to an increase in the risk of MND. “It is important to stress that we know that most people who undertake vigorous exercise do not develop MND. Sport has a large number of health benefits and most sportsmen and women do not develop MND.
Conclusions: This study adds to the evidence that pesticides, especially insecticides, fungicides, and fumigants, are risk factors for MND.
Second, the human retroviruses human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and human T-cell lymphotrophic virus (HTLV) have caused isolated MND syndromes.