Eric Dane Died of ALS at 53. Who Is at Risk?
The disease that took the Grey’s Anatomy star is rare, complex, and still deeply puzzling.
After McSteamy: A Disease in the Spotlight
When actor Eric Dane died at 53 yesterday, many people remembered him as McSteamy from Grey’s Anatomy. But in every story about his life, there was another detail: he had ALS.
For many readers, that raised a simple and scary question. What is ALS? And who is at risk?
ALS, short for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a rare disease that attacks the nerves that control muscles. Over time, people lose the ability to move, talk, swallow, and breathe on their own. In the United States, about 5 to 10 out of every 100,000 people are living with ALS at any given time. Most cases happen without a clear reason. A smaller number are linked to genes passed down in families.
Dane was younger than most people who are diagnosed. ALS usually develops between ages 60 and 80. His death is a reminder that even though the disease is rare, it can affect families in sudden and heartbreaking ways.
What ALS actually does
ALS damages special nerve cells called motor neurons. These nerves send signals from the brain to the muscles. When the nerves stop working, the muscles grow weak and shrink.
There is no cure. Most people live three to five years after diagnosis, though some live much longer. The disease does not affect the mind in the same way it affects the body, which can make it even harder for patients and families.
Even though ALS gets a lot of attention, especially when a public figure is diagnosed, it is still rare.
Who is most at risk
The biggest risk factor for ALS is age. It most often appears in later adulthood. That is why Dane’s diagnosis in his early 50s stood out.
Men are slightly more likely than women to develop ALS, especially at younger ages. As people get older, that gap becomes smaller.
In the United States, ALS is more common among white adults than among other racial groups. Experts are still studying why.
The genetic piece of the puzzle
About 10-15% of ALS cases run in families. This is called familial ALS. In these cases, a person inherits a gene change that raises their risk.
But genetics are more complicated than that.
Even among people with no known family history, about 10-15% may carry a gene linked to ALS. Today, doctors often recommend genetic testing for all ALS patients because new treatments are being developed that target specific genes.
Still, most people with ALS do not have a single clear genetic cause. For many families, there is no simple answer to the question, “Why did this happen?”
Possible environmental risks
Researchers have looked for environmental triggers for ALS. They have found some possible links, but no single proven cause.
Smoking has shown up in several studies as a small risk factor. Certain jobs that involve exposure to metals, pesticides, or solvents may also raise risk. Workers in production jobs, construction, and metal work have shown slightly higher rates in some studies.
Military veterans are also more likely to develop ALS than civilians. Scientists are not sure why. It could be related to chemical exposures, injuries, or other factors connected to service.
But it’s important to keep this in perspective. Most people who smoke, serve in the military, or work in these jobs will never develop ALS. These are risk factors, not guarantees.
Inside the diseased nerve cells
Scientists now know that ALS is complex. It is not caused by just one problem.
Inside the body, nerve cells in people with ALS often build up abnormal clumps of protein. One protein called TDP-43 is found in most cases. Other problems include trouble handling energy, repairing DNA, and controlling inflammation.
Many experts now believe that ALS, like autism, is not one single disease. Instead, it may be several different pathways that all lead to the same result: damage to the nerves that control muscles.
What we still don’t know
Doctors diagnose ALS based on symptoms, exams, and special nerve tests. There is no single test that can confirm it right away. New blood tests that measure nerve damage show promise, but they are still part of a larger picture.
Even with better tools and more genetic knowledge, one truth remains: in most cases, we still do not know exactly why ALS begins.
Eric Dane’s death has brought ALS back into public conversation.
ALS is rare. It is devastating. And for now, it is a disease that science understands better than ever before, yet still cannot fully explain.
That uncertainty may be the hardest part of all.