Due to copyright issues, an electronic copy of the thesis must be ordered from the faculty. For the faculty to have time to process the order, the order must be received by the faculty at the latest 2 days before the public defence. Orders received later than 2 days before the defence will not be processed. After the public defence, please address any inquiries regarding the thesis to the candidate.
Trial Lecture – time and place
See Trial Lecture.
Adjudication committee
- First opponent: Assistant Professor Rosario Vasta, University of Torino, Italy
- Second opponent: Associate Professor Caroline Ingre, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
- Third member and chair of the evaluation committee: Professor Lasse Philstrøm, University of Oslo
Chair of the Defence
Professor Hilde Lurås, University of Oslo
Principal Supervisor
Senior Consultant Ola Nakken, Akershus universitetssykehus
Summary
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease, where the cause remains mostly unknown.
This thesis aimed to assess possible modifiable factors for ALS risk or survival, focusing on lipid levels, physical activity and fitness, and statin use. The participants were drawn from four Norwegian health surveys (1972-2003). We ascertained ALS patients through nationwide registries of diagnoses or death, and statin use through a prescription registry.
We found that for every 1 mmol/l increase in low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol, the risk of ALS increased by 6% (hazard ratio (HR) 1.06 (95% CI 1.01-1.09)). Higher levels of physical activity and fitness in midlife were linked to lower ALS risk in men, with no association found in women. Compared to the lowest level, the highest activity level was associated with a 41% reduction in ALS risk (HR 0.59 (95% CI 0.42-0.84)) in men. Among ALS patients, there was no survival difference between statin users and non-users.
In conclusion, higher LDL-cholesterol can be a risk factor for ALS. Regular exercise and good physical fitness may lower men’s ALS risk. Statin use was not associated with survival time in ALS.
Additional information
Contact the research support staff.