Study Links Higher ALS Rates to Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard Veterans

Veterans who served in the Air Force, Navy, or Coast Guard had ALS rates 15% to 29% higher than Army veterans, according to a study cited by Business Insider. The study analyzed records for nearly 10 million veterans receiving Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare between 2000 and 2024, including nearly 14,500 people with an ALS diagnosis. Researchers also found officers faced a 64% elevated risk of developing ALS compared with enlisted service members.

After accounting for age, sex, race, and ethnicity, male Air Force veterans had a 29% higher ALS rate than male Army veterans. Male Coast Guard veterans had a 26% higher rate, while male Navy veterans had a 15% higher rate. Male Marine veterans had a 22% lower rate than Army veterans, and the differences were more pronounced among men under age 61 than among those over 75.

The study pointed to possible service-related exposures as potential links but did not identify specific jobs or exposures responsible for the differences. Marc Weisskopf, an environmental epidemiologist at Harvard and one of the study authors, said military service is a known ALS risk factor, but the contributing factors are not well understood. He also cautioned that ALS is rare and that even statistically significant increases represent modest increases in overall risk among military personnel.

ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, damages nerve cells that control voluntary movement and can affect speaking, eating, moving, and breathing independently. Prior research has found ALS is more common in veterans, possibly because of exposure to risk factors such as lead, pesticides, and other toxins. The study’s clearest takeaway is that future research should focus on identifying which military environments or exposures may be linked to ALS risk.