Alcohol consumption and the risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

This chapter focuses on the association between alcohol consumption and the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Literature on this topic is scarce and has conflicting results, especially when comparing studies from different geographical areas. Alcohol did not appear to be associated with ALS in the United States and Japan, but resulted to be protective in Sweden and in The Netherlands, and a risk factor in South Italy. The aim of this contribution is to examine the reasons behind conflicting results, exploring study design, methodological implications, socio-cultural factors and lifestyle habits, ethnicity and the production process of alcohol beverages. Further investigations are needed to better understand the role of alcohol in developing the disease, but high-quality standards of study design and socio-cultural factors should be considered to improve the design of the investigation and to better interpret its findings.