High-calorie feeding may slow progression of ALS
Increasing the number of calories consumed by patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) may be a relatively simple way of extending their survival. A phase 2 clinical trial led by physicians at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) found that ALS patients receiving a high-calorie, high-carbohydrate tube-feeding formula lived longer, and with fewer adverse events, than participants who received a standard formula designed maintain their weight. While the results need to be interpreted with caution because of the small size of the trial, the authors are optimistic that improved nutrition could make a significant difference for patients with ALS. “We are particularly excited because these results provide the first preliminary evidence that a dietary intervention may improve life expectancy in ALS, and they are strongly supported by epidemiological and animal data,” said Anne-Marie Wills of the MGH Department of Neurology and Neurological Clinical Research Institute (NCRI), corresponding author of the paper, which has been...