What are the odds of inheriting ALS from my father?

The answer is not simple. The general rule of thumb is that 5 to 10 percent of ALS cases are inherited. There are three patterns of inheritance, and there is variable penetrance. Different genetic variations of ALS exist. read more

If you can look at your tree and see that in the last 2-3 generations, there is no case of ALS in your father's family, then more than likely your father's case is an unfortunate case of sporadic ALS (meaning, not familial). read more

Autosomal dominant inheritance is the most common. If you father has inherited ALS with this form of inheritance, then you have a 50/50 chance of getting that gene and getting ALS. Except that some people with the genes for ALS don’t seem to get the disease due to reduced penetrance. Autosomal recessive inheritance is much less common. read more

My father died in 1977 of ALS, his brother (my uncle) in 1975, and now this year my aunt (my father's sister) has been diagnosed with ALS. I, too, wonder about my chances and the chances of my children inheriting the gene for this disease. read more