{"id":3264,"date":"2026-06-29T15:38:33","date_gmt":"2026-06-29T15:38:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=3264"},"modified":"2026-06-29T15:38:33","modified_gmt":"2026-06-29T15:38:33","slug":"can-a-football-career-increase-your-risk-for-als-ex-nfl-star-chris-johnson-40-reveals-shock-diagnosis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=3264","title":{"rendered":"Can a football career increase your risk for ALS? Ex-NFL star Chris Johnson, 40, reveals shock diagnosis"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Former NFL star Chris Johnson has ALS, and it\u2019s already robbed him of his ability to speak.<\/p>\n

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The ex-Titans and Jets running back made the shock announcement on \u201cGood Morning America\u201d on Monday, employing a speech-generating device that uses his recorded voice to communicate.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s continued to progress much faster than I ever imagined. I want people to understand just how quickly ALS can attack your body,\u201d he said. \u201cJust over a year ago, I was picking up my 7-year-old daughter so she\u2019d make a wish with her birthday cake. Today, I couldn\u2019t do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no history of ALS in my family,\u201d Johnson added. \u201cMy doctors believe my case is what\u2019s called sporadic ALS, which is actually how the vast majority of ALS cases happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s one of the reasons this disease can be so shocking. It can happen to someone who never expected it.\u201d<\/p>\n

His news comes just months after beloved \u201cGrey\u2019s Anatomy\u201d star Eric Dane died of ALS on February 19 at the age of 53. Dane had called it a \u201cnasty disease\u201d that caused muscle weakness, fatigue and trouble speaking.<\/p>\n

Johnson, who has four children, said he plans to fight and has been getting experimental treatments.<\/p>\n

Johnson said the first sign that something was wrong was that his grip strength wasn\u2019t at strong as it used to be. At first, his wife, Brittany, assumed it was a less serious issue related to playing football, like a pinched nerve.<\/p>\n

There is some emerging evidence that playing professional football \u2014\u00a0and traumatic brain injuries \u2014 could be a risk factor for ALS. Read on to learn more.<\/p>\n

What causes ALS?<\/h2>\n

ALS (short for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) is a fatal, progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.<\/p>\n

Known as Lou Gehrig\u2019s disease in honor of the famed baseball player who died from the condition, ALS affects all genders and races, though it is slightly more common in men than women.<\/p>\n

The typical age of diagnosis is between 40 and 70, but it can present earlier.<\/p>\n

There are two primary types of ALS: sporadic and familial.<\/p>\n

Sporadic ALS is the most common form of the disease, accounting for 90% of all cases. Sporadic ALS occurs randomly without genetic cause or family history.<\/p>\n

About 5\u201310% of ALS cases are familial, meaning that two or more people in a family have ALS. These cases are caused by several inherited factors. The most common is in a gene called SOD1.<\/p>\n

Specific risk factors for ALS have not been conclusively identified, but research is exploring the role of genetics and environmental factors on the development of ALS. Studies have suggested that smoking tobacco may heighten a person\u2019s risk for ALS.<\/p>\n

What is the life expectancy for people with ALS?<\/h2>\n

People battling the disease typically live between three and five years after diagnosis. However, many patients with ALS far exceed these numbers. <\/p>\n

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The\u00a0ALS Association\u00a0reports that about 10% of people diagnosed with ALS live at least 10 more years, while about 5% live at least 20 years or longer. An outstanding example is physicist Stephen Hawking, who lived with ALS for more than 50 years after his diagnosis.<\/p>\n

Dane had not shared when exactly he was diagnosed.<\/p>\n

What are the symptoms of ALS?<\/h2>\n

Initially, ALS can present as slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, and\/or limb weakness that persists for several days or weeks. ALS does not affect the senses or cognitive function.<\/p>\n

As the disease progresses, common symptoms grow to include:<\/p>\n