Eric Dane’s death sparked a debate about the rate and severity of ALS.
Also known as Lou Gehrig’s diseasea progressive disease officially called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is debilitating and fatal.
According to the ALS Association, only about 5,000 people are diagnosed each year in the United States, and the average life expectancy is only two to five years.
Dane, best known for starring as Dr. Mark McSteamy Sloan on ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy,” announced his diagnosis in April 2025 and told “Good Morning America” in June that his first symptoms started with “some weakness” in his right hand.
‘Grey’s Anatomy’ star Eric Dane dies at 53
“I didn’t think anything about it,” the actor said. “At the time, I thought maybe I was texting too much or my hands were tired. But after a few weeks, I noticed that my symptoms were getting a little worse.”
“I’m fighting as hard as I can,” Dane added. “There’s a lot out of my control about that.”
ALS is progressive disease According to the ALS Association, this is where the brain loses its connection to the muscles. This slowly takes away the ability to walk, talk, eat, dress, write, speak, swallow, and eventually breathe.
Early signs include muscle weakness, stiffness, and cramps. As the association notes, “There is no single timeline for ALS,” and the progression and severity of symptoms will vary from case to case.
Because the disease only affects the motor neurons that control voluntary movements, the senses of sight, touch, hearing, taste, and smell are not affected, nor are the eye muscles or bladder control.
The ALS Association reports that many ALS patients “remain mentally alert and conscious” throughout their illness.
Diagnosis usually occurs in people between the ages of 40 and 70. Approximately 20% of patients survive for more than 5 years. Only about 5% of people live for more than 20 years.
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ALS is usually diagnosed by a neurologist using electromyography (EMG), but it can also be detected by blood or urine tests, spinal taps, MRI or other imaging scans, muscle or nerve biopsies, or tests. neurological examination.
According to the ALS Association, while there are treatments that can slow and alleviate symptoms, there are currently no treatments or treatments that can halt the progression of the disease.
Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Mark Siegel joined “Fox & Friends” on Friday to discuss the prevalence of ALS and suggested that the rise in cases is due to “something in the environment that we don’t yet understand.”
According to Siegel, 10% of ALS is hereditary, but 90% of cases are not. genetic connectionpoints to other risk factors such as environmental toxins.
“This is a muscle-weakening disease that affects the nerves that innervate the muscles and usually starts on one side,” the doctor said. “Then you feel tired. Your tongue may tremble, your arms may tremble, usually on one side, then on the other.”
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As muscle weakness progresses, it can affect speech and eventually attack the diaphragm, making it difficult to speak fully. inflate the lungs.
“That’s what happened [Dane]”Probably symptoms progress from the arms, legs, speech, swallowing ability, and breathing,” Siegel said.
ALS progresses “pretty quickly in most cases,” Siegel said. Scientist Stephen Hawking lived with the disease for 55 years, while Dane “probably lived with the disease for about two years,” the doctor estimated.
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“I want to point out how brave you are. [Dane] That was — he was actually involved in Target ALS, where he was fighting for new research,” Siegel noted. Personalize your approach This disease, this is the future – and he fought for it. ”
“Research for this requires a large amount of funding. [Dane] They were asking the government for $1 billion. ”
Various research groups and hospital systems are actively working on new ALS treatments that take a personalized approach, Siegel said.
The ALS Association reports that the estimated cost of developing a drug to slow or stop the progression of the disease is $2 billion. The estimated annual out-of-picket cost of care is $250,000.
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Funding for ALS research and awareness has increased in recent years due to the virality of social media. ALS Ice Bucket Challenge It became a hot topic in 2014.
The challenge, supported by the ALS Association, aimed to raise awareness. Ultimately, it raised $115 million for ALS research and patient care.
